Traitor
by EnchantedKnights
Summary: Yugi Mutou is a young normal male teenager, who loves adventures and games, however, he's an apprentice for the International Vampire Hunter Association.With tensions building between the hunters and vampires, Yugi is given the assignment to get 'close' with the royal court of the vampires and discover their secrets. But what happens when history starts to repeat itself? (mobium.)
1. Night I: An Evening Party

_**Title**: Traitor.  
**Rating**: M.  
**Genres**: AU; Alternate Universe, Drama, Romance, Humor, Tragedy, Friendship, and Supernatural.  
**Warnings**: Sexual content, Mature language, _Character deaths, Violence, Some Gory D_escriptions.  
**Main parings**: Mobiumshipping. (YMxYYxPA) And other side shippings.  
**Summary:** Yugi Mutou is a young normal male teenager, who loves adventures and games. However, he's a trainee in the International Vampire Hunter Association. With tension building between the hunters and vampires, Yugi is given the assignment to get 'close' with the royal court of the vampires and discover their secrets. But what happens when he become rather 'attached' to the leaders of the Vampire Kingdom? Is history repeating itself?  
**Disclaimer: **I, Enchanted knights, do not own Yu-gi-oh, or any brands of cars, phones, games, or other trademark items or songs used in the making of this story. They all belong to their respective owners. I merely created the plot. _

* * *

_**Night One: An evening Party. **_

'What is this? '

Violet hues gazed through a pair of black binoculars, watching what might have been the lamest evening party in the twenty-first century. Yugi Mutou, the human spying on what was a birthday party for the current vampire ruler's birthday, could have sworn it was something from the early nineteenth century than modern times. The people in the social gathering were doing nothing more than chattering, dancing formal ballroom dances, sipping from wine glasses, while listening to what Yugi thought was Vivaldi. The only thing that was keeping the 'snooze-fest' from traveling back in time, was the lack of white powder wigs and giant Victorian dresses.

"Hmmm. They call this a party?"The seventeen year old with abnormal gravity defying tri-colored hair, whispered into the small wireless microphone strapped to his slim neck by a black leather dog-like collar.

He heard a sigh of frustration come through the clear tactical earpiece he wore, and couldn't suppress the grin slowly creeping onto his face.

"Yugi-" Rebecca Hopkinz, his technician for his current mission, started in an un-amused tone. "It's a vampire soirée, what do expect?"

"I don't know… a carouse? From the way Yami acts at school, one would think this would be a lively party with plenty of alcohol, sultry girls, and loud dance music. Not…something so formal," Yugi tore his gaze away from the party and started to survey the area, particular focusing on the lacking security. "For such a big event, you would think the watch would be a little bigger."

" I don't think the Prince is big on guards, like his former lover," The hunter's technician spoke over the sound of her fingers typing on a keyboard. "Get ready to hop the fence, there's an opening after the next guard passes by. Make sure you have the concealing stone, you'll need to hide your scent he's going to be passing rather close by you. "

" 'Kay, " Was all the human used to reply to the younger teen, as he slipped deeper into the bushes he was hiding and packing up his gear into the black backpack he carried. He double checked to see if the blood red concealing stone was still hanging around his neck from the chain necklace it was on.

Yugi relaxed, finding he had everything he needed before taking his time to think about his objective. Get inside, get into the basement, find the rumored 'tomb', and get documented proof of it. It sounded simple, but this was actually a very complicated and dangerous task. Nothing was simple about sneaking into a vampire's lair, especially the estate in which the current leader of the vampire race inhabited. This could very well be the last night he would live. So many things could go wrong over just a few rumors, but it would be worth it. The adrenaline rush was a high Yugi strived for, when he volunteered willingly for the low ranking missions for the I.V.H.A. Just thinking about the thrill a mission gave him was making goose-bumps rise on his skin. The vampire hunter trainee's fingers twitch slightly in anticipation for his mission to officially start.

"All right Yugi, you're clear. Head over the fence, and sneak in through the ground floor window on the left when you reach the estate. After that, I'll turn things over to Lady Kujaki. "

Rebecca hadn't finished her second sentence, by the time Yugi had sprang up from his hiding place in the bushes, climbed the rather tall black iron fence of the Muran estate, and landed safely on the other side. The moment his black leather boots made contact with the grass, Yugi started sprinting quickly to his entry point. He was way ahead of his teammate by several plan phases. He had to be, because this mission was like a game of chess. At least, it was in his mind. Each move was made with a purpose, each foot fall was contoured by guards and servants moving another step closer towards him. If he made just one wrong turn or hesitated in the slightest, he was going to be dead meat. Or worse, a leech's next meal. He treated everything like it was a game, because Yugi had never lost a game in his life. There was a reason why he was given the nickname The King of Games.

Carefully prying the closest ground level window open, Yugi scrambled through it and closed it back softly. He took a moment to stand straight and brush off his sleeveless black v-neck shirt, and his black leather pants before observing the hallway he was in. Thankfully the lights were on, allowing him to see clearly. "Okay, I'm in Mai. Which way do I go? Left or right?"

"At least someone calls me by my first name! Yugi, you actually make me feel young compared to Ms. Overly-tactfulness here in the van with me. Go right, then swing a left at the next hallway opening. Careful of stray guests and servants. They might be look for some 'alone space' or a snack," The upbeat voice that could only belong to Mai Kujaki spoke a little too loudly, causing Yugi to wince but he did as he was told.

He took the left, before quickly scrambling back in the direction he came from panting slightly. "Mai! The party is that way! Could I have a detour, so I'm not turned into a human party drink, please?" Yugi quietly hissed into his mic, peaking around the corner to observe the party and make sure no vampires were coming his way.

"Damn, give me a moment. I'll get you a new route, Yugi-dear, " He could hear the shuffling of the estate's blueprints as Mai looked through them for a different route to the basement.

Peeking around the corner, Yugi's violet eyes curiously watched the party guests while searching for the man of honor; Yami Sennen, or the 'Prince' as he was labeled. Though the human didn't quite get the title of the royal vampire. He wasn't related to the late ruler in any way, nor were his parents a king or a queen. Well, that was what Yugi gathered from most of the rumors at school. He hardly knew anything about the current leader of the vampires, despite going to the same school as him, and even sitting next to him in the only class they shared. Yugi had a passing thought of actually trying to get to know the guy while they were at school, but he quickly allowed that thought to go to the trash bin in his mind. If he were to try to befriend Yami, it would just end up hurting him later on. Either he would become a food source for the other, or would get killed for having ties to the International Vampire Hunter Association.

"Just go straight, Yugi. At the end of the hall take a left there, then there should be a door to your right. It's a servant entrance to the basement, go down through it," Mai instructed sounding a bit unsure, but still had a confident tone her voice.

Snapping out of his small daze, Yugi made a noise of acknowledgment before starting a light jog down the hall. He was careful not to create too much noise from his light run, while his mind was on high alert. Within just two minutes, Yugi found himself opening the door Mai had spoken of and descending down the stairs at a brisk pace.

"-ome. It's a shame he hasn't took up a new mate. At this rate. he won't be able to create an heir for the throne and our system will be in shambles."

'Dang it, servants.' He had just reached the bottom, when his human ears picked up the faint female voices of servants. Yugi silently swore to himself as he began to think of a possibly alibi for why he was down here and how he would react to them. He bit his lip lightly, before an idea popped into his head. Taking out his phone, Yugi pressed it to his ear before speaking nonsense into it.

"Non, non, non. Vous m'écoutez. Mon 'maître' et je, sont à une célébration très importante en ce moment. Nous n'avons pas de temps pour être le bavardage de note loin de votre affaire stupide,*" He uttered out randomly as his ears picked up the faint sounds of high-heels clicking on the ground. Oh how he hoped for this move to work. He was dangerously close to check.

" Yugi what in the world are you saying?" Mai questioned him through the earpiece he wore in his phone-less ear.

The teenager made no notion to reply to her, instead he acted like he was getting bored. As if his imaginary caller was speaking in a monotone voice that was going on and on. Yugi's eyes glanced down at the dim lit floor displaying two shadowy figures who, looked like they were in a hurry. He gulped, swallowing his nerves as his heart started pumping faster and his adrenaline high was starting to kick in. The human lifted up a hand to feel the concealing stone that hung loosely around his neck and settled snugly in the dip in between his collar bones. He knew it worked but now, was the time to test how well it could mask his scent.

"Are you ignore me, Yugi Mutou? I swear if you are, I'm-" Yugi was barely paying attention to Mai's annoyed voice in his ear nagging him until there was a loud thud from her side of the connection. He had the brief thought of asking if she was okay, but the sight of something with coming around the corner kept him from doing so.

"Excuses, excuses. Jou n'y serait jamais d'accord, anyways. Ah! Il semble que j'ai la compagnie maintenant,*" Yugi spoke once more, his violet eyes catching the sight of two young maids standing in front of him with their arms holding a basket of clothing each.

He had spoken on impulse, hoping to fool the two flawlessly as he pulled the phone away from his ear. His violet eyes skimmed over the two females. One kissed by the sun, and the other blessed by the moon. The females were like polar opposites in looks. One girl having dark hair, tanned skin and dark blue-green eyes; while the other had fair skin, white hair, and bright blue eyes. Oddly, both of them seem to resemble two duel monster cards he know very well.

Yugi gave them another look with his eyes, taking them in from head to toe before placing the phone back to his ear. "Je vous rappellerai, au revoir monsieur.*"

The tri-colored haired male glanced at his phone and pretended to end the call, by sweeping the pad of his thumb across the touch screen. He held onto the device as he gave the female maids before him, a curious and confused look. "Is there something wrong, misses? I apologize if I'm in your way," Yugi faked his apologetic tone, and stepped aside for the young women, making a gesture for them to head up the stairs past him.

The tan one of the two maids made a move of continuing up the stairs before placing her basket of white clothing down on the third step. Damn, he just got his hopes up too.

Yugi stiffened slightly when she held her chin with her right hand, and started to walk around him, as if she was inspecting him. The intense focused gaze she was using to look at his body from head to toe, was starting to make Yugi feel a little self-conscious for once, while he wore the clothing the Director had chosen for his missions. The vampire hunter trainee opened his mouth to speak, but instead of his voice coming out, a sweet soothing feminine voice covered his up.

"Is there- "

"Mana, stop checking the poor guy out like that. Leave him be so he can call the person he was talking to back," It was the white-haired female who had spoken before he could.

Yugi watched cautiously as the girl referred to as 'Mana', stopped looking at him to turn towards the other maid.

"But Kisara, he's got a cute butt! Just look at how round it is? I'm so envious. " Her voice was slightly deeper than the other female's, but she had a more aloof and playful tone to her voice.

Despite the embarrassing statement that the tanned female had spoken, which made Yugi blush rather darkly, The human felt like she could be a person he could befriend. Well, maybe outside of his mission.

"Right, just like all the other men in the estate," Kisara, the white haired one, spoke sounding a bit sarcastic as she laughed lightly at the other female. "I apologize for Mana's actions, sir. I hope you finish up your business soon. You wouldn't want to miss the rest of the Prince's party. Come on Mana, let's finish up so we can go wish Yami- I mean The Prince, a happy birthday. "Kisara lead the other maid away, while still holding on to her own basket.

Yugi watched wearily as Mana picked up her basket of clothing and started rambling on about how she was going to 'breath life' back into the dead party upstairs. The human male found himself smiling lightly from over hearing her statement. He wished he could go back upstairs to see just how the girl known as 'Mana,' could make the boring evening party fun.

It wasn't until he heard the door that led upstairs close, did he drop his guard and exhaled heavily. "My butt isn't cute ... is it?"

" Oh ho ho, look who's talking to us again-" Yugi blinked as he heard another loud crashing sound that had cut Mai off for a second time, followed by muffled shouts and grunts. Figuring Mai had fallen out of one of the chairs in the back of the van that was being used as their temporary command base, the 'spy' kept quiet and leaned back against a wall waiting for the commotion to settle down a bit.

" I'm sorry Yugi, Miss Kujaki wasn't too pleased about you not speaking to her. Don't worry though, I'll explain to her the dangerous situation you were in," Rebecca's voice seemed to have a hidden meaning behind her words as she spoke him. Yugi pressed his lips together. He could only imagine what Rebecca had done to their superior. The golden-haired girl did have a known record of not being the best one to control her temper.

"No problem, but where am I heading to now?" The human looked to his left then to his right, the hallway was barely lit and he was having a hard time making out details. He felt like he was in some cheesy remake of an Indiana Jones movie from the old stone walls of the underground hallway.

"Miss Kujaki says to go to the right, and then make a left at the three-way path intersection. Where ever that is."

"Great," Yugi sighed as he turned left and started walking down the hallway, taking his time. He was sure his next path would be coming up soon, so why rush things?

* * *

Two hours. Two hours and thirty-three minutes, that was how long he had walked around in what was now, some ancient looking underground passageway. When the basement of the Muran Estate had turned into some dark tunnel lit by torches, Yugi could not tell you, however he could tell you that it appeared as if the dark corridor just kept going, and going, and going… It seemed like it was a never ending path.

"I hope the Director gives me a foot massage after this. My soles are dying from this agonizing walk," Yugi complained into his mic for what was the millionth time.

_"You've told us this, five minutes ago,"_ Rebecca replied sounding bored.

In the background Yugi could hear the theme song to Mario Karts 7, making him pout. Here he was, killing his entire Halloween night to find some stupid room that was rumored to have the body of the late vampire Pharaoh. And what was Mai and Rebecca doing? Playing a game of Mario karts on_ his_ Nintendo 3Ds. Life was so unfair.

Yugi huffed rather childishly as he continued to press onward. Gradually, he noticed the passage he was walking was starting to grow wider and slightly brighter. Grateful for the change in scenery, Yugi picked up his pace, going from to a sluggish walk to one that was slightly rush. Eventually, the human had broken out into a light run, hurrying to reach the end of this tormenting adventure. This was definitely not the adrenaline rush he was looking forward to. Yugi had expected booby-traps like concave walls, trap doors, large pits filled with snakes and spikes. Not this agonizing long walk underground that had nearly lead him into hell.

A sigh of relief finally escaped Yugi's mouth as he came upon the three-way path split. Without hesitating he took the left path. "It looks like I finally got to go left!" He announced to Rebecca and Mai excitedly.

_"That's great, let us know when you've found the door,"_ Mai replied sounding in deep concentration.

_"Yeah, tell us when you've found the door,"_ Rebecca echoed Mai, before uttering a curse with Mai's victorious evil laughter in the background. Neither of the females had shared Yugi's excitement for a new development in their search.

The tri-colored haired boy shook his head lightly, sighing as he started down the new path. Not long afterwards, Yugi found himself enveloped in pitch black darkness. Not a single source of light around him.

Muttering a curse, the vampire hunter trainee continued walking while searching for his phone, which he had placed in his back pocket after using it to help him not look suspicious. Just as he pulled from his pocket, Yugi had ran into something with hard surface, knocking him back of steps and causing him to drop his phone. "Damn it!"

_"Are you okay Yugi?_" Rebecca's concerned voice echoed in his ear as his hands went to cradle his face.

"Y-Yeah. I will be," He said rubbing his sore nose and forehead. "I just ran into a wall, or something," The teenager bent down and started to search for his phone, finding just next to his left shoe.

Pressing the lock button top his phone to turn his touch-screen phone off of sleep mood, Yugi was relieved to find his screen unbroken when it lit up. He then proceeded to shine his phone's dull light in front of him, to investigate the object that nearly broke his face. His mouth dropped slightly when he came face to face with an old dark wooden oak door.

"Well, scratched that. I ran into a door," He stated to the females, using his phone to examine the ancient looking entryway.

_"Great! Go ahead and get the mission over with. Miss Kujaki has already fallen asleep on you,"_ Rebecca's voice was filled with joy, sounding perked up from the hours of boredom.

"If I can find the handle. It doesn't look like the door has one…" Yugi stated as he narrowed his violet eyes at the place were handle had been. Setting his backpack down on the ground, Yugi began to look around the area for something to open the door with. Odd as it was, he spotted a crowbar not too far away from the wood and iron entry point. The human was quick to scoop the metal item up into his hands. He toyed with it, getting a feel for the weight of the tool before shoving it between the actual door and wall, and then pushed against the crowbar, hoping to pry the door open. Unfortunately for him, it didn't budge a bit. When his mind picked up on that key fact, he paused for a moment. The human spat in each of his palms and rubbed them together. He then grabbed the handle of the crowbar and pushed it back with all the force he muster up from his short stature, his face turning red from the strain of the action. This time, he was rewarded with a loud creak as the door slowly started to crack open. Dropping the crowbar, Yugi moved closer to the door and wiggled his fingers into the small crack he had pried between the door and the frame it was connected to. He grasped the dense wood and started to pull on it with all his might.

After several minutes with his teeth clenching and grunting while he pulled on the heavy door, Yugi was finally able to get the door to open half way. It was enough for him to be able to get into the room hidden behind the ancient door. Yugi hoped what was ever behind the door, was worth all the hell he went through opening it. His fingers burned from the small splinters that were embedded in his fingertips. The teen pushed the dull pain into furthest corner in his mind. He would deal with it later. He still had his mission for the I.V.H.A. Scooping up his backpack, Yugi squeezed through the small opening he had created.

More darkness cloaked Yugi's path. Although at least this time, there was the flickering of candle light not too far in front of him.

_"Find anything interesting and noteworthy?"_ Rebecca asked over the sound of Mai snoring softly in the background.

Yugi blinked, nearly forgetting the fact he had worn the earpiece. He shook his head too himself as he kept walking forward at a steady pace. "No not yet- AH!"

One moment his foot was on the ground and in his next step, Yugi found himself nearly falling to his doom as the stone floor beneath him gave way. If he hadn't grabbed the edge of the the pit so quickly, there would be no doubt he would have fallen to his death.

_"Yugi!? Are you okay?"_ The vampire hunter tech's voice was frantic, like she had just received the biggest scare in her life. _"Do you need back up? I can send-"_

"I'm fine! I just slipped that's all," Yugi quickly cut Rebecca off. He didn't lie to the girl, but he wasn't telling the truth either. "I just wasn't paying attention, I'll be okay."

The human huffed out as he pulled himself over the edge. He couldn't be any more thankful for Physical Education class then right now. It looked like the chin-ups actually did come into some use in his life!

Once he was safe from falling to his death, Yugi once more pulled out his phone, shining its light forward to look at the path of him. A small smile formed on Yugi's face, while his eyes had an excited look to them.

The passageway before him was like a giant maze. Ironically, it reminded Yugi of the obstacles his grandfather described to him during one of his archaeologist stories about the Egyptian pyramids. If they were anything similar, Yugi would have to be light on his feet and use his head to pass through his 'challenges'.

Not too long afterward almost falling to his death, Yugi came face to face with his last challenge. After balancing on beams, avoiding trap-falls, ducking under swinging axes, and scaling a few stone slabs; the young human was facing the hardest of them all. The dreaded 'which way to go', challenge.

There was two possible routes for him to choose from, one that was on the right, and another that went left. Yugi look both ways, noting how each route was lit by torches. Putting his phone away in his back pocket, Yugi took in the little details the fiery light source revealed to him.

The left path looked like it lead to the city's sewage system. The limestone walls and flooring had turned into concrete, and Yugi swore he could hear the faint sound of rushing water; not to mention the smell in his current position was putrid. He also noticed that the fiery glow wasn't as bright as the right pathway. Speaking of the second pathway, the human could help but notice how much more elegant it was. Though the age compared to the other path seemed far older.

The limestone flooring slowly morphed into smooth basalt tiles, and the walls became fine aged white limestone. On the walls, the torch light had illuminated the detailed picture cravings that Yugi instantly recognized as hieroglyphics. The teen's interest were sparked, and he finally made his choice. The young vampire hunter trainee went right.

The tri-colored haired teen took his time walking through the hall filled with history, literally. Yugi found himself trying to make out the ancient written language with what knowledge he had learned from his grandfather's books. As his fingertips graced over the well engraved writing, the human couldn't feel any more lucky than he already did. If he could spare some free time, Yugi would definitely come wandering back down here to study the scriptures more closely. He had a passion for the ancient Egyptian culture, much like his beloved grandfather has. One could say it runs in the Mutou family's blood.

Yugi wished to the deepest parts of his heart he could just take his time to decipher the ancient language, so he could learn the stories it told on the walls of white limestone. However, he was on a mission; one he was sure was already close to being discovered. Just thinking about his mission reminded him of his partner and supervisor. It had been some time since her heard Rebecca's voice through his earpiece. Pausing his stride, Yugi checked the gadget to make sure it was functioning properly. He even spoken into his microphone a few times in hopes to get an answer. After ten minutes of trying to get some sort of reply and looking over his tactical headset, the human came to the conclusion he was just simply out of 'range' to communicate with the other members of the I.V.H.A. Yugi had a feeling that he needed to hurry up this little spy game of his, otherwise he would be the cause of unneeded bloodshed on yet another Halloween night

Much to Yugi's surprise, the ancient looking corridor started to expand and soon, he came face to face with a set of limestone double doors. The sight of them made Yugi's stomach pull with dread, it seemed like he was going to have to exhaust himself once more to get pass a set of doors…again! The human adjusted the backpack on his shoulders, before placing his hands on both doors and preparing himself to use all his might to push them open.

'Okay Yugi, push on the count of three. One, two, three!' The human counted himself off, before using all his strength to push the doors open.

* * *

Unlike the first door he came across, the limestone doors opened with just barely a push. Thus, it caused Yugi to fly through the double doors, lose his footing, and the ground was more than happy to greet his face as he collided with it. Yugi groaned as pain caused stinging in his face. With eyes squeezed closed, the human pushed himself up into a sitting position and held his face tenderly in his hands. He rubbed his small nose with his palms and checked his forehead for any bumps. Luckily his nose wasn't broken, out of place or bleeding and his forehead, was just tender with no knot. Despite that, Yugi knew he was going to have a headache for sometime.

Pulling his hands away from his face, Yugi had to blink twice before he could actually believe the sight before him. He rubbed his eyes, before slowly standing to his feet while gawking at the ancient room.

Gold. Gold, silver, priceless gems, royal Ancient Egyptian styled clothing, limestone and pink granite elegant jars, basalt tablets, papyrus scrolls, and many more ancient artifacts along with a few more modern items littered the Egyptian tomb like room. To think, this was what the vampires were hiding so deep down underneath a simple estate. It aroused far too many questions in Yugi's mind; though his main question was, why? Why hide this? Why was this room so special it needed so many traps to prevent it from being entered? It made no sense to him.

With a quiet sigh, Yugi shrugged his backpack's straps off his shoulders and placed it on the ground. "Better get this over with." He spoke while he crouched down next to it, unzipping the black bag and pulling out a rather nice looking Kodak camera. One from the new addition in the PixPro series.

The human opened up a small compartment on the bottom of the silver digital camera, before placing an SD card inside for the pictures to be stored on. Once it was inside securely, Yugi dug inside his book bag a bit more, and pulled out yet another SD card, this one was for his personal photos he would take after getting a few shots for the Association. He quickly pocketed his personal memory card before kicking his book bag to the side, and starting his 'mission'. Yet it was more like busy work to keep him, a trainee, out of the hair of the higher-ups. Not that Yugi cared much, some of these assignments he went on turned out pretty cool. Such as this one, for an example.

He started with the doors, taking several photos from different angles before moving on to the room itself. Yugi's photos ranged from the floors, to the walls, the unique items, and to the roof. He took a photograph for every inch at every angle. Something he was sure the Director of the Association was going to appreciate when he actually cared to look at Yugi's work. The human teen would admit his photography skills weren't the best, but he did take some nice pictures from time to time.

Feeling like he had taken enough for the higher-ups to examine, Yugi turned his camera off before replacing the memory card with his own and setting about to taking a few pictures for himself. He also did a little exploring on the side, reading what little hieroglyphics he could understand.

Yugi just happened to be examining some writing on the walls, when he noticed smoothing a bit off about the section he was looking at. His violet irises had spotted a nearly perfect line running from the floor and half way up to the high ceiling.

Yugi ran his right middle finger over the line with his lips pursed in bewilderment. "Now that's strange. What's with this line?"

His bafflement only last for a few short minutes when the concealing stone he wore around his neck, began to burn his skin while glowing with a dull light. Wincing, Yugi retrieved the trinket, and held it tenderly by its chain. The stone itself was only seven centimeters long and two centimeters thick, however, it felt like it weighed a ton when it started to glow with the odd light. Yugi wasn't sure of what to think about the weird event. He merely kept looking at the stone, hoping it would stop acting oddly. But when three minutes of waiting passed, Yugi's hand was cramping up from holding the stone for too long. It seemed like whatever 'this' was, it wasn't going away anytime soon.

Yugi allowed the concealing stone to rest back on his chest, this time on his shirt for protection. He felt a little discomfort from the heat it produced, but nothing like the burning sensation he had felt before. He quickly returned to examining the line from before, and noticed it was a gap between the walls. Curious, Yugi moved away from it in hopes to find another gap. His mind was restless at the idea that the perfect crack in the wall was by some chance, another passage he could explore.

Instead of finding another gap in the wall, Yugi's round violet eyes caught sight of a small indention in the wall just a half a meter from the perfect gap in the wall. Just as he was about to place his finger tip on the small cut out in the wall, the concealing stone he wore started to burn him even more. Yugi hissed loudly and held the small blood-colored stone by the chain it was hanging from.

"Could you please stop burning me? It hurts you know?" The human snapped at the inanimate object as he held it away from his body.

Trying to ignore the blinding pinkish glow from the stone, Yugi examined the cut out's shape and size. Odd it was shaped just like his-

The gears in Yugi's mind started turning like a well-oiled machine.

Without taking his concealing stone off his being, Yugi placed the charmed object into the small hole. Maybe this was the reason for its annoying behavior, and perhaps it would calm the stone down, while helping him discover what the gap in the wall was.

Barely a second after Yugi had placed the stone in the wall, the light it gave off intensified before dimming into nothing. Yugi blinked when nothing else happened, wondering it was just a fluke of some sort. Right as he removed his stone from the hole in the wall, Yugi felt the ground start to shake and heard the sound of stone rubbing against stone. Looking back towards the gap in the wall, the human's eyes doubled in size as he watched part of the wall sink down into the floor.

'So the gap is an entrance to a secret passage! Sweet!'

When the section of the white limestone wall stopped sinking into the ground, Yugi allowed his concealing stone to fall back on his chest and ready his camera. A smile crept up on his face as he received the all too familiar tingling feeling throughout his body. Yugi slowly walked towards the new entryway, finding that the corridor it hid was lit by a dull torch-light. He was about to take a step inside the passage, when a strong gust of wind suddenly blew passed him.

A human's sense of smell was something that was completely inferior to that of a vampire, however, Yugi didn't need to have a vampire's sense of smell to catch 'wind' of rotting flesh. The mysterious gust of wind had left Yugi nearly emptying out his stomach. It took him wrapping an arm around his stomach, his free hand over his nose and mouth, and all the willpower he had in his body; just to not vomit. His eyes watered from the stench, his stomach tying into knots over and over again. Yugi thought he was going to drop to his knees at any moment from the strength of the smell.

Determined to keep going, Yugi held his breath and used his shirt to cover his nose and mouth. It wasn't a perfect protection, but it was good enough for him to try resist the urge to puke, from the scent of decaying flesh.

Yugi marched as fast as he could through the dim corridor. Through his brisk and quick walk, he was quick to notice why the scent of decay was present, there was literally rotting animals lying around on the floor along with the decayed bones of humans. The sight caused him to shiver and he refused to take any pictures of them to keep as a keepsake. He didn't need to remember such a horroifying sight, nor show his grandfather when he return home later that night.

The human let out a sigh of relief when he reached the end of the hallway of horrors and now stood in a grand room. His eyes darted around the room in awe, and before Yugi knew it, he was starting to take photographs of everything he saw. From the colorful walls of hieroglyphics to the stone sarcophagus lying on a white marble platform.

Unlike the other room he had been in earlier, the walls in this chamber had the hieroglyphics painted on the wall, depicting a story of some sort. They were colorful, well-kept, and barely had any fading to them. It was obvious someone had been attending to the paintings. Keeping them vivid by touching up the fade areas and making sure no imperfects could be seen.

As he made his rounds around the room, Yugi finally came across the sarcophagus that inhabited the room. He carefully took pictures of the stone coffin, not wanting to knock it off its perch on the marble pedestal like structure. The young human pursed his lips in a confused and displeased fashion as he looked at the face of the sarcophagus. It was empty of any facial features, impossible to tell what the person it held looked like. But by analyzing the ancient scriptures engraved in the sides, Yugi assumed it was someone who had held a lot of influence in the vampire court. It had to have been someone important.

He bit his bottom lip while he thought over the idea of opening the ancient coffin. He knew such a thing was considered taboo and frown upon, but he curious to see if there was an actual person inside. If there was a person inside it, the vampires wouldn't have left the face of the sarcophagus blank…right?

After setting his camera on the ground, Yugi placed his hands on the stone. He exhaled softly, ridding himself of his nervousness before he started to lightly push on the lid of the stone flesh-eating coffin.

While the human teenager pushed on the lid, he was surprised by how easily it moved with the little effort he put into it. When the faceless sarcophagus lid was off the stone coffin, Yugi paused to take in the insides of the coffin. He grimaced.

"Another coffin, what is this Ancient Egypt? The rooms were pretty cool and all, but is it really necessary to seal a body in two coffins?" The human spoke allowed to himself. His alto-pitched voice echoed in the emptiness of the room as he picked up his camera and snapped a picture of the golden coffin in the shape of a humanoid form. Again, the face of the pharaoh like coffin was deprived of all physical features, but the clothing portions of the coffin had faded paint. Placing his camera down on the ground again, Yugi allowed his finger to brush over the golden coffin. His mind was at war with itself, fighting over the option to open the coffin or just leave it be and start heading back to Rebecca and Mai. He knew they probably already had contacted Director Pegasus, and were possibly getting a search team to invade the vampire evening party and search for him.

Still, Yugi choose to make them worry for a bit longer as pressed his sweaty palms on the edge of the golden coffin and started to push its cover off. What was the harm in staying for just a few more minutes?

The human was sweating by the time he manage to get the top of the golden coffin to budge even an inch. Surprisingly, the golden sarcophagus' lid weighed more the giant stone sarcophagus it laid dormant in. Finally, after several minutes of pushing and a few two-minute breaks, Yugi manage to get the golden cover off of the coffin and was face to face with a body.

The human had already prepared himself for the sight of a rotting, dead corpse, however, the body he was currently gawking at was far from decomposing. He didn't even look dead!

The young vampire hunter trainee had seen a lot of dead bodies in his short life time; his grandmother, father, mother, friends, cousins, and even some half decomposed strangers. He knew what a dead body would look like, at least what human dead bodies should look like. But this person, this male, just looked like a peacefully slumbering vampire who, appeared to be starving. His beautiful sun kissed skin plagued by the deathly ill color of ash grey, was proof enough for Yugi to confirm that this man, this beautiful man was a starving demon.

Other than the tan skin he harbored that was ashen from lack of blood, the vampire appeared to be perfectly fine and alive. That was what the human had thought, until Yugi spotted the old dagger embedded into the male's chest that had left a large nasty dried blood stain on his tattered linen tunic.

The human blinked in bewilderment as he gazed at the dagger, before trying to muffle his laughter.

'Seriously? Wow, this is hilarious! This guy allowed himself to get sealed in stasis!" The human picked up his camera and started taking a few pictures of the vampire before him. He couldn't believe that this vampire had been thrown into a coffin, just because he was stuck in stasis; a temporary immobile state. During the first part of his hunting training, Yugi was taught of the four known ways a vampire could die: starvation, dismemberment, burning, and a specific type of blood poisoning.

Although Yugi found it highly funny that the vampires had confused stasis for death, and he somewhat pitted the sleeping vampire for it. He was good-looking with an angular face, high cheekbones, long eyelashes, and hair similar to his own spiky tri-colored mane. He also had well tone muscles under skin that had to have been a beautiful golden tan. The human's joy slowly disappeared from his being as he studied the vampire more closely. Lowering his camera down from his face, Yugi found himself reaching out and allowing his fingers to graze the 'sleeping' vampire's jaw line.

"He's cold, but there's still some warmth there." He spoke out loud in a soft tone. The statement caught himself off guard, he hadn't expected the words to escape from his mouth.

'Ah, well at least no one was around to hear it.' He thought to himself, as his hand went to cup the vampire's face. He smiled softly, his violet eyes gazing at the vampire with fondness and sadness as he looked down at him. The male vampire truly was beautiful. Although all vampires had physical beauty, this one somehow appealed to Yugi, even without the use of compulsion or hypnosis, like most of the species used to lure their human prey in.

Yugi's eyes glanced over the vampire's body and frowned. The vampire's fingers were completely gray, along with his feet that were bare. At first glance Yugi hadn't noticed it, but now that he was paying more attention to the details; the human could tell that this vampire wasn't far off from dying of starvation. Giving his appearance, the vampire was fairly young, but was sealed several hundred years ago at the least. That meant he most like hadn't had actual human blood in centuries. Of course Yugi could release the seal, and the vampire could on his happy way and go feed, but he was a starving vampire. And Yugi was... well, a human with fresh blood flowing through his veins. He would be dead before he could even realize what was going on, not to mention he would have released a blood thirsty monster into the world.

The human removed his hand from the vampire, and took a few more pictures of him, before coming up with an idea. Perhaps he could carry this guy out of here and get him to a local Blood Bank and start feeding him. The human shook his head at the idea, Rebecca and Mai would turn the vampire over to I.V.H.A. and the vampire would be exterminated. Something, Yugi was against. Slaying rouges, he would do if in danger, but killing a vampire that was innocent and helpless? No, there was no reason too. They were living humanoid creatures with souls too, they just had a different way of living. He would be a murderer if he ever did such a thing.

Coming up with plan to ditch Rebecca and Mai, Yugi had started to try and lift the vampire out of the coffin when his phone started going off rather loudly. Groaning, the hunter and training placed the sealed vampire back down and pulled his phone from his pocket.

He rolled his eyes when the caller ID showed a picture of Mai blowing an air kiss towards the holder of the phone and her name scrolling across the top. Yugi released a soft sigh before using the pad of his thumb to unlock the screen and pressed the phone to his ear. "Mai, I'm sort of busy at the moment. I can't really talk-"

"YUGI! Get out! Get out now! Something has happened, the nobles are in a panic, the guards are frantic, and there's rumor of the scent of the previous vampire ruler! You have to get to the van now! You're in danger!"

Yugi blinked several times, his heart rate starting to pound abnormally hard in his chest. "What happened to cause them to go so haywire? Nothing down here has happened-"

"I just told you! Our inside sources told us the Prince went rigid along with the court, and then Yami started crying out about the 'Pharaoh' and freaking out. That's when the other vampires picked up on the scent and started screaming and crying out in anger! You have to get out of there! " Mai interrupted him sounding stressed, tired, and slightly scared.

Yugi glanced down at the body lying in the coffin and felt his throat get tight. He prayed that this guy wasn't who he was thinking of. If so, he could be considered a dead man.

"I understand, I'm leaving," With those final words, Yugi hung up on Mai and re-pocketed his phone.

The human sat his camera down and quickly started covering the vampire back up, with the lids of each coffin. Once that was done, Yugi picked his camera and took off towards the other room. Not even, bothering with covering his nose as he passed through the hallway of rotting flesh.

The moment he was back in the room he had left his backpack in, Yugi rushed to the cut out in the wall and placed his concealing stone inside of it, hoping the wall would close again. When the wall started to raise into place, Yugi pulled the stone out and headed to his backpack. In a rush, he threw his camera inside, not caring what happened to it at the moment, as he zipped it up and placed the black bag on his back and took off through the double doors.

Yugi knew he couldn't leave the way he came, there was too much commotion going on for him to sneak out through a window. His legs ached as he sprinted down the corridor that he had once took his time to go through. As he approached the two separate paths, Yugi simple went straight. Heading straight into Domino City's sewers, Yugi tried to speed up his run when he heard voices faintly yelling from maze like hallway he had just passed. He ran along the concrete siding of the sewage line tunnels, until he found a ladder leading up to the surface. Not caring where it lead out to, Yugi climbed the ladder and carefully pushed to metal top overhead out of his way.

* * *

Once on the surface, Yugi scrambled to his feet after getting fresh gulps of air and taking in his surroundings. He quickly looked around him, before sighing heavily when he notice he was alone and safe for now. The human took off his concealing stone and placed it in his left front pocket before checking his tactical earpiece and mic, making sure they were functioning properly before he tried to contact Rebecca and Mai.

"Are you guys there? I made it out. Are you two safe?" Yugi asked hoping the two female vampire hunters were safe. After all, they were just observing his mission and helping him with the routes.

"Finally! I was about to call the director and request the stealth force for a rescue mission!" Yugi's tense body slowly began to relax at the tone of Rebecca's relieved voice. "Where did you end up at? We'll come get you."

"Uh…" Yugi looked around before spotting the back entrance of a popular destination that was the common place for hangouts with his friends. "In front of the arcade that's in the downtown district," He finally told her as he started to make his way over to the popular hangout spot.

"Okay. But how did you end up all the way of there when we were on the outskirts of the city?" Rebecca's voiced questioned him before she spoke to Mai telling her the place in which they would be picking up Yugi.

" I don't know, to be honest," The human's voice was dull as he ran his hands through his unique gravity defying hair. "I guess the underground passage I used goes pretty deep into the city."

"Possibly," Rebecca responded seeming distracted by something.

Just as Yugi rounded the corner that would put him in front of the well-known arcade, he spotted the familiar headlights of one of the iconic I.V.H.A.'s black Ford E-350 Recreational Van. He didn't waste a second as the van came to a screeching halt in front of him, to open up the front passenger side door and enter the vehicle.

"Well, that was quick," He spoke happily as he shrugged his backpack off and sat in the floorboard before buckling.

It was only after he had the safety restraint on, did Mai take off towards their main headquarters and Rebecca sprung up from her seat in the back of the van to hug Yugi around the neck.

"You are NEVER doing a mission like that again. God Yugi, I thought you were dead when we lost connection with you," The golden blonde hair girl spoke, as she rubbed her light tan freckled cheek against Yugi's pal one.

The seventeen year old male couldn't help but laugh lightly at his friend and close teammate. "Yeah agreed, it was kind of freaky down there. There was this corridor filled with traps, and one after it that was filled with dead rotting animals," He informed Rebecca, avoiding mentioning the sealed vampire he had found. He was going to keep that his little secret, and perhaps once things had calmed he'd go down the sewers and revisit the male. Yugi didn't want to admit it out loud but, he pitied the vampire. He knew not all vampires were bad and the vampire he encountered, appeared to a pretty harmless man.

'He couldn't be too powerful. Jeez, he allowed someone to stake him with a dagger and rather unprofessionally too.' It was funny to him though, at first he found the seal vampire to be a fool for getting sealed, and now he pitted the creature.

"Yugi? Hey Yugi.. Yuuuuugiiiii!" Rebecca started shaking the boy rather harshly trying to pull him from his thoughts.

"Huh?" He blinked, tilting his head back at his superior.

"I asked if you took any interesting personal photos from this mission," The older vampire hunter repeated to him and poked his cheek. "Well did you?

"

Yugi swatted Rebecca's hand away giving her a disappointed smile. "Sorry, not this time around," He lied. He couldn't let his secret out, he wasn't about to send the sealed vampire to his death. Well, bring him closer to it. The guy was already starting to lose his muscle mass from the lack of nutrients.

Yugi heard Rebecca's disappointed sigh. "I'm guessing it wasn't that thrilling then, " She muttered sitting back down in her seat.

The male turned around to face Rebecca's pout face with a sad smile, while Mai looked back at her through the rear view mirror with narrowed plum colored eyes.

"Beca, stop pouting you look like you're a child, " Mai spoke up taunting the other female. "You should avoid such actions, if you don't men will never think you are an attractive fifteen year old."

Yugi blushed at Mai's taunting comment, and turned back around to stare at the front windshield. He was already counting down to when Rebecca would blow her fuss at the other blonde haired woman with a body that could cause any man to drool. Even a homosexual one.

"I'm not a child! " Rebecca snapped, "Just because I was pouting, does not make me a child. You pout all the time, Kujaki!"

"Yes, but it's cuter when I do it, Hopkinz," Mai tease her younger teammate and stuck out her tongue towards the rear-view mirror.

For the remainder of the ride to the Vampire Hunter headquarters, Yugi had remained silent and attempted to tune out the annoying bickering between the two females. The moment Mai had parked the van, Yugi had the door open, was out of the car with his backpack already on his back, and making his way inside the massive building that was just three floors shy of being taller than the Kaiba Corp skyscraper. He didn't bother with waiting on the other two females, knowing all too well that they would be out in the van for the rest of Halloween night arguing with each other.

"Welcome to I.V.H.A.- Oh Yugi, the Director is already waiting for you in his office. Go ahead and take the elevator up to it, " The kind-hearted receptionist greeted him.

Yugi smiled at the woman and gave her the proper thank you and greeting, before briskly walking towards the elevators. He pressed one of the arrow buttons and an elevator to his left opened up. Without hesitating, he entered the elegant elevator and pressed the button for the 'Twenty-ninth' floor.

Yugi finally allowed himself to relax as the elevator's door closed and he slowly started to rise. The teenager closed his eyes, listening to the relaxing and simple elevator music. He couldn't remember how many times he had road in this very same elevator, only to be calmed down by the odd upward motion and the calming music. It was like his own mini sanctuary after near-death experiences and stressful situations.

In the past year – the only year he's been serving in the association – Yugi had come into a totally thirty seven situation where he had nearly lost his life. Thirteen of them landed him in some sort of cast or brace, while only three had sent him to the hospital with life threatening conditions. He considered himself lucky, because most trainees didn't make past their first year and here he was, one year, three weeks and five days into his training period. He only had till his twentieth birthday then he could be inducted into the hunting association as a full member. Then perhaps he could carry out his grandfather's goal for him. The man was the only family Yugi had left, and was much too old to be dealing with vampire slaying issues. It wasn't good for the old man's overall health. It was partially why Yugi had joined the I.V.H.A., it was to take the old man's place and recreate the association from the inside, out.

With a soft ding, the elevator's doors opened up to reveal a luxurious lobby. Although it may appear appealing to the eyes, Yugi knew it wasn't all that 'glorious'. It was mainly used to inform a family of the death of a vampire hunter, or if one had been turned, missing, and so on. It only served the purpose for providing comfort for the grieving families. He and his grandfather had been in this very lobby when his parents passed away on their last mission.

On the other side of the lobby, Yugi had paused in front of a set of beautiful dark oak wooden double doors. He sighed through his nose, and patted his right pocket, making sure he had the Director's photos still, before he knocked on the door loudly.

"It's open," Came a muffled replay, and Yugi reluctantly twisted on of the doorknobs and pushed the door open.

"You wanted to see me, Director Pegasus?" Yugi greeted the Director of the Domino branch of the I.V.H.A.

"Ah, Yugi boy come in, come in. Have a seat. You've had quite the night, I heard, "A man, nearly six feet tall in height, with pale skin, long silver hair that covered his right eye; gestured to one of the two black leather club chairs station in front of his large desk.

"Yes, sir," Yugi replied rather timidly as he took his seat in front of Pegasus' desk.

Pegasus Maximillion J. Crawford was a man who was loved, respected, and feared by many in the I.V.H.A. He was man of power, someone who had the ability to influence anyone he wanted to. Pegasus had power in every aspect a human could have. Money, political, and through just sheer body strength. There was a reason why the I.V.H.A branch of Domino didn't allow a person to just 'quit' their job within its ranking, and Pegasus was it. He made sure the only way you left the association was through a body bag.

Yugi's violet eyes cautiously watched Pegasus as the man pushed a bowl of assorted candies towards him. "Here, have some. It is Halloween and you are still are a child. I'm surprise you actually had took this mission up. I thought you would have wanted to go 'Trick-or-Treating' with your friends."

"It was a Halloween party, and I figured I could always hang out with them another time. Plus, I kind of guessed you would make me do it either tomorrow night, or during a school day. I'd rather just get it out of the way," The teen stated in a timid and dull voice. Normally Yugi had a confident tone to his voice, no matter who he was talking with. But Pegasus was a man he feared. He feared what he could do to him and his grandpa, if the director ever became upset with Yugi.

"Oh, you know me so well child, " Pegasus teased while he gave Yugi a smirk with a sinister glint in his one visible brown eye. "But enough chit-chat. Tell me what you found tonight," He held out his hand, as if asking for something.

Yugi reached into his pocket and pulled out the SD card that held some of the pictures he took, but none of the ones that held the images of the sealed vampire. "There wasn't anything that was a 'major' discovery. Just a room filled with unique items from various time periods. Most were from the Ancient Egyptian era. "

" Was there anything…odd about these items? Or any other rooms?" Pegasus asked, leaning forward slightly.

Yugi shook his head, showing faked disappointment. "No sir. "

A heavy sigh came from Pegasus as he placed the SD card in one of his desk's drawers. "That's fine, at least there was something, and you got out safely while Yami and some of his subjects had an 'episode'."

Was that what Pegasus was calling it? An episode? From what Mai had told him Yami thought the former king had come back, or something along those lines. Yugi eyed the candy bowl on Pegasus' desk, hoping his mind would get off the subject. None of it was his business. He was just a human.

"Oh, that reminds me, I already have your new mission assigned to you," Yugi perked up at Pegasus' words, his violet eyes shining brightly with confusion and excitement.

"Another one already?" The tone the teen used was that of simple surprise. Normally he had to wait two to three weeks for a new assignment.

"Yes, but this one might take you a while to…complete. It's challenging, but nothing you can't handle I'm assured. It is just a bit tedious."

"Then may I have the overview of it, so I can see what I am having to do?" Yugi asked sitting up a bit straighter.

"I've already sent it to your home. You should have it by tomorrow, if not sooner. Now go home and rest child. You'll be needing it," The Director spoke kindly and ruffled Yugi's hair. "Goodbye, Yugi boy."

"Good night, Director Pegasus," Yugi said rather wearily as he stood up to leave his office, however, as he left, Yugi couldn't help but feel as if he was going to be regretting being given another mission so soon after on he had just completed, despite his excitement for it. It was a very unpleasant feeling.

* * *

"Grandpa, I'm home." Yugi announced his presence, as he entered the Kame Game shop through the back door. His voice sounded tired, and he looked twice as worse as he sounded. The young teen toed off his boots by the back door, as he locked it back. Glancing at clock on a nearby wall, Yugi sighed at seeing how late he had stayed out. It was almost 2:30 am, he wouldn't be surprised if his grandpa had already called it a night.

Yugi slowly started to shuffle his feet forward towards the stairs that lead up to the living quarters of his cozy home. He took the steps of the stairs one by one, being careful not to slip in his socks on the slick hardwood surface. He didn't need to be out of commission for his next mission before even starting it. That wouldn't go over too well with Pegasus. Reaching the top of the stairs and opening the small white wooden door, Yugi was surprised to see his living room and kitchen lights on and his grandpa cooking away in the kitchen while watching the television in the living room. Yugi laughed lightly at how his grandfather took advantage of the open floor plan.

Hearing his grandson's quiet laughter, Solomon Mutou turned around and beamed a warm smile at Yugi. "Welcome home, my boy. Your dinner's almost done, so go wash up," The old man instructed the seventeen year old boy before looking down at his skillet and stirring the stir-fry simmering in it.

"Okay, Grandpa," Yugi said cheerfully as he dropped his backpack next to a chair at the dining table, before scurrying off towards the nearest bathroom to wash up for his late night dinner.

When he returned from the bathroom, with a clean face and hands; Yugi caught the sight of his grandpa's signature yakisoba stir-fry and licked his pale pink lips. His grandfather's yakisoba was one of the few stir-fries Yugi would actually eat. For some reason, if a stir-fry wasn't made by his grandfather, Yugi wasn't be able to stomach it. It made sense while looking at the 'bigger picture', Yugi was a very picky eater.

Taking a seat in front of his food, Yugi picked up his chopsticks and gave a quick thanks before digging into his food. As the delicious food touched his taste buds, Yugi let out a moan of pleasure. He closed his eyes and slowly chewed his food before swallowing and taking another bite, savoring the amazing flavor.

Yugi heard his grandfather's well aged laugh, and tilted his back to see the old man staring at him as he placed the skillet into their dishwasher. "Enjoying the food?" His grandfather asked with a hint of amusement in his tone.

Yugi gave him a goofy smile and nodded his head, before going back to his objective of cleaning his plate.

"So how was that mission of yours? Did it prove to be better than hanging out with your friends on Halloween?" Yugi's Grandpa finally asked, aft Yugi had finished his food.

The teen leaned back in his wooden chair, as his grandpa took the seat next to him on his right. Yugi gave a shrug of his shoulders as he stared up at the ceiling, still tilting his chair back.

"Not really, but I didn't really have a choice. It was either on Halloween, or during a school day and risk being exposed. Which we both know, I can't let that happen," Yugi stated sounding a bit tired from just the thought of his friends discovering his affiliation with the vampire hunters. He couldn't let them know, they would think he was a backstabber, even if it was for the greater good.

"Jou's a vampire, Ryou and Malik are claimed feeders, then there's also Honda whose lover is a vampire too-"

"Calm down Yugi, it'll be fine. I'm sure you'll never have to come face to face with such a dilemma," His grandfather reassured him. "I was in the same boat as you when I was your age, believe it or not," Solomon said confidently, boasting about his younger days.

Yugi smirked and placed his chair back on all fours before looking at his grandfather in taunting way with one eyebrow raised. "Yes, but your boat was the human male chasing all the pretty tails out in the world, mortal or not, " Yugi replied teasing the old man.

The younger Mutou succeeded in gaining a dull blush from his grandfather and an angry pout as the old man waved one of his hands in denial. "Nonsense. Now, back to your mission. How was it? Not too challenging I expect."

Yugi smile grew as he leaned down to his backpack and started to look for his camera from earlier. "It was actually pretty cool. Boring for the most part, but it was cool towards the end of it, " He informed the old man as he continued to rummage around in his back bag. " The area I was told to explore had a lot of stuff from the ancient Egyptian era. One of the hallways had nearly a million different stories about the many pharaohs that controlled Egypt. But there was this one room that was cluttered in artifacts. Tablets, jars, vases, jewels, golden coins, clothing, crowns, papyrus scrolls, miniature obelisks, dried fruits that were preserved, and the walls were telling a story about this great pharaoh who ruled two separate kingdoms at once with a mighty fist. It was amazing Grandpa! Here-" Yugi finally found his camera and sat back up. He scrolled through the pictures, all the way up to the beginning of his personal pictures and leaned the camera's digital scree towards his grandfather and started to slowly go through the pictures.

Yugi watch his grandfather's eyes light up as he glance through Yugi's pictures. Though as they started coming closer to the photos of the sealed Vampire, Yugi pulled the camera away and placed it down the table. He didn't say anything right afterwards, his mind was starting to swarm with thoughts of the sealed vampire alone. His mind wondered just how much time the male had left. Minutes? Hours? Days? Years? Hit bit his bottom lip slightly in concern, that's one thing he didn't know about the death of a vampire. How long it took for starvation to actually kill them.

"All right kid, spit it out. What's bugging your mind?" Yugi's grandfather pestered his grandson sitting up a bit straighter. " And don't try to brush it off either. I can tell you're wanting to say something, so out with it. "

The teen frowned at his grandpa, before picking up his camera and flipping through his pictures till he found the full body photo of the sealed vampire. He gazed at it a moment, before placing the camera in his lap. Yugi took a deep breath before he exhaled rather loudly and looked at his grandfather with concerned eyes. " Say ….if a vampire is sealed, can they still starve to death?" Yugi asked his grandfather reluctantly avoiding making eye contact with his elder.

Yugi heard Solomon make a sound of deep thought as the elder closed his eyes and scrunched up his face while he thought. "Yes, because essentially they are just in a comatose state, well that is the easiest way to explain it. If you think about it, even a human in a coma needs nutrients, which the hospital provides via I.V, so the human would stay healthy. However…" Solomon paused thinking harder, by this time Yugi's eyes were on his grandfather curious about what else he had to say, "A vampire can typically go without blood for a year, perhaps more depending on age, before they actually die from lack of blood. Though I believe during stasis, they can live up to centuries without blood. At least that's what one study showed."

Yugi nodded thoughtfully absorbing the information his grandfather had given him. "And how do you reintroduce blood back to a vampire who's been starving for a long period of time?" His eye had a look of fascination and determination in them.

"Half a pint a day, then gradually increase it to two pints. Why are you curious about this all of the sudden?" Solomon questioned his grandson, with a stern look he knew that the boy would squirm under until he blabbered out the truth. And that was just what Yugi did.

The human teen fidgeted in his seat, eyes darting from his grandpa to his camera, then back again. He hated how that look made his feel guilty for something he hadn't done yet.

" I-I…. I came across a vampire that looked like he had been sealed away and forgotten. His body showed signs of starvation and he looked too….'peaceful' to be some criminal. So I figured I could start helping him out by going to the local Blood Bank and picking up some blood for him," Yugi fidgeted some more, "I would be lying if I said it wasn't out of pity, because it is," He unwillingly admitted.

Solomon shook his head. "No, leave them be Yugi. If they are showing signs, then that means they are dead Yugi. Plus if it is starving, the vampire won't be sane when it wakes. They'll lose their morality, and be unstoppable bloodthirsty monster till their thirst is quenched. Which could be centuries."

"But Grandpa if you look at him-"

"Yugi Mutou, I said no!" The old man snapped. He didn't even bother to look at the digital photo Yugi tried to show him.

"Just listen to me, Grandpa. I'm only trying to save this one's life, he doesn't even look that old!" The teenager showed Solomon the picture, hoping it would help persuade the old man. Instead, it did the exact opposite.

Solomon's dark violet eyes widened and his nostrils flared as he gazed at the picture Yugi had of the sealed vampire. He visibly shook with fear and anger as he glanced at his grandchild.

"Where… did you find him?" the old man said through clenched teeth.

"The sewers. It was part of my mission-"

"DON'T EVER GO BACK." Solomon snapped, " That man is a monster that deserves what he is getting. If I even catch one blood bag here, or any evidence that you have been messing around with… with that creature, I will beat you rear-end till it's raw and bleeding!"

"Why!? What's so bad about this vampire? He's dying alone and helplessly, Grandpa! Why can't I just give him enough blood for him to live few more years?!" Yugi raised his voice at the man that raised him since his infancy years. His own irritation soaked his words.

"Because that man is the late Ph- It doesn't matter! I said you are not to go near him, and that is final Yugi!" Solomon hissed and glared at his grandchild, "Now go to bed, you have school in the morning. "

Standing from his chair, Yugi silently stalked up another set of stair that lead to the third floor of the home and headed straight to his bedroom. He was irritated at his grandfather for forbidding him from helping someone who was helpless. He loathed how his grandfather was being overprotective just because he knew something Yugi did not. Damn elders. Just because they knew a few more things than others, they thought they knew everything. Well, if his grandfather wanted to be that way, then Yugi would just show him that he was wrong.

The teen entered his room and shut the door behind him rather forcefully before turning on his light. He stalked over towards his nightstand and placed his camera down on it before he went to his dresser to grab some pajama pants. He would just get up earlier tomorrow morning, and grab his shower before heading to school. Maybe he could even tame his hair into some form of a ponytail so it was out of his way for once. Stripping down to his boxers, Yugi threw his dirty clothes into his hamper before slipping on his pajamas. Yugi shuffled his feet towards his light switch and flicked it off before heading to his bed.

The teen crawled into the warm safe haven and tugged his blankets around him as he rested his head on his pillow. His eyes went to stare out the skylight in his ceiling as his mind tried to calm his many emotions and thoughts. Most of the pertained to the beautiful 'sleeping' vampire he had met that very night. Sighing, Yugi put the thoughts aside. He would deal with them later, for right now sleep was trying to overcome him. And so far it was winning as his violet eyes slowly drifted close and his stressed mind welcomed slumber.

* * *

**An: **I have yet to do a second proof read so yeah...excuse any mistakes. So, this chapter is a total of 12, 991 words.  
That's about average for this story. Which will be ranging anywhere from 8,000 to 15,000 words per chapter. Yeah, that's right, you'll be getting nice beefy chapters.  
Anyways, I hoped you like it. I'll update the story again on** November 15, 2014. **We'll be meeting several new faces next chapter, including the offical introduction of Yami.  
Please review, follow, and fav.

_**TRANSLATIONS:**_

_**Non, non, non. Vous m'écoutez. Mon 'maître' et je, sont à une célébration très importante en ce moment. Nous n'avons pas de temps pour être le bavardage de note loin de votre affaire stupide. ; **__No, no, no. You listen to me. My 'master' and I are a very important celebration at this time. We do not have time for chit-chatting away about your stupid case._

**_Excuses, excuses. Jou n'y serais jamais d'accord, anyways. Ah! Il semble que j'ai la compagnie maintenant. ;_**_ Excuses, excuses. Jou would never have agreed, anyways. Ah! It seems that I have company now._

**Je vous rappellerai, au revoir monsieur. ;** I'll speak with you later, good-bye sir. (loosely translated.)

**Edited for errors on 9/27/2016**


	2. Night II: A Night Out With The Guys

**An: **Thanks for the reviews, follows and favorites! This chapter mentions underage drinking!

* * *

**Night Two: A Night Out With The Guys.**

* * *

Yugi felt like he was one of the living dead, and not the good kind either. He felt like a zombie and could probably pass for one, with the dark circles and bags under his eyes from lack of sleep from the previous night. This was all the Association's fault. Giving him these ridiculous missions that hardly have a point in them, and causes him not to be able to peacefully fall asleep until three hours before he had to wake up for his school day. Most of the members were already taunting him about his lack in the height department, but Yugi couldn't help that! Not many members of his family had grew past five feet and eight inches. It also wasn't his fault Pegasus assigned him the ridiculous missions that prevented him from getting the proper rest a seventeen year old male should receive. One of these days he hoped he could get at least one night that he could rest for a normal eight hours or more.

For now, Yugi would just have to deal with the short power naps he could get in between morning homeroom and the start of first period, much like he was doing now.

Yugi rested his head on his arms, which were folded on his desk to make a makeshift pillow. The seventeen year old's face was buried in the crook of his elbow as he attempted to catch up on his sleep peacefully. He had be successfully doing so undisturbed, until he felt an arm wiggle its way round his neck and place the human in a very light choke-hold.

"Wakey, Wakey Yug'-" Whomever was speaking to Yugi was unable to finish their sentence, as the human, bolted up from his seat his desk. With skill no normal teen had, Yugi was able to escape the choke-hold by turning his head to the side, dropping his chin down, stepping to the side, and giving a harsh tug on his captor's arm. Yugi could have simple stopped there, but being half asleep caused the hunter instincts the I.V.H.A had drilled into his head, to go into full overdrive.

Yugi dropped his weight making his center of gravity lower than his opponent's. Using his hips, the shorter male trust back into his captor and tugging on the person's arm. Effortlessly tossing the person over his shoulder and slam them on their back in the space between his desk and the next row of desks.

Yugi was about to finish off his opponent with a final blow to the crotch from his foot, when he spotted the familiar shaggy dark golden blonde hair and honey brown eyes gazing up at him with bewilderment. Yugi blinked several times before his groggy mind registered just who he was staring at and immediately released his best friend's arm and placed his foot on the ground from its raised position.

" Jonouchi! Are you okay? I'm so sorry, I honestly did not mean to do that to you," Yugi offered his hand to his best friend, helping him of the ground while a horrible feeling of guilt settled in his stomach.

" It's cool man, no harm done," Jonouchi spoke with a light laugh as he grabbed Yugi's outstretched hand. "You should now it takes a lot more than just a body slam to the ground to hurt me," The blonde stated with a smile as he stood to his feet and dusted off his dark navy blue high school uniform.

Jonouchi wasted no time try and cheer his best friend up, by flicking his nose to get Yugi's attention when his deep violet eyes had flickered to the ground. "Where'd you learn a skill like that, pal? Cause I have to say that was pretty awesome!" The blonde haired vampire praised Yugi and slung an arm over the boy's shoulder and ruffled his hair. "Come on, tell me, Yug'!"

Yugi squirmed and laughed lightly as his hair was ruffled and attempted to hold Jonouchi's hand still with his two smaller ones. "I'll tell you! I'll tell you, Jou!" The teen said through his laughter and finally caught Jonouchi's hand and pushed it away from his head.

"I had a self-defense class I took over the summer. It taught humans how to defend themselves against vampires," Yugi told Jonouchi. "They might overpower us with strength, but a human can easily turn a vampire's strength against them!" The human didn't lie to his best friend, he just couldn't. Not even about the missions he had to go on for the I.V.H.A although, Jou knew nothing about Yugi having any affiliation with the association.

The human just couldn't break the news to his best friend, or any of his friends. Back when he first sworn in as a trainee for the Vampire Hunters Assosiation, he would have told the blonde with his intentions clear; he was only joining the hunters in his grandfather's place. But life had gotten too complicated. At that time eighteen months ago, Jonouchi had went missing for a total of seven and a half months and no one could locate him. Not even Jou's precious little sister, Shizuka, had heard from her beloved big brother. While the blonde teen had been missing, Yugi had joined the I.V.H.A. with high hopes that he would be able to track down his friend easier with the hunters' connections. Jonouchi had everyone worried, until the day he showed up at school with the Prince and Ryou and Malik's vampires.

Back then, Yugi hadn't care that Jou had been turned into a vampire, his best friend was still in this world, that's all that had mattered. As time passed though, Yugi had soon come to terms that with Jou no a vampire and their other two friends having being feeders, meant he couldn't share his secret training to them. The three would always share their low opinions of the hunters, claiming they were unjustified and racist; it rendered Yugi silent about the major development in his life. And since then, the human bared his secret alone.

"Well, you'll have to show me some of those move! I need ta' use them on Moneybags one day. That'll teach em', for calling me a mutt!" Jou said energetically, getting in to a fighting stance similar to a boxer's. "I could show him a thing or two then! I'm tired of being pushed around by that dick!"

Yugi laughed and shook his head, retaking his seat behind his desk, as Jou took a perch on top of it with a goofy grin. The blonde gazed down at Yugi with soft golden eyes, his smile slowly shifting into a frown. Catching the change in Jonouchi's demeanor, Yugi cringed, already knowing what his friend was about to say. It was most likely going to be about the big Halloween event Jou had attended last night. Personally, Yugi could really go without a story about the boring party, witnessing it from the sidelines in secret had been enough for he had to sit through a detailed recalation of the boring party, the human would definitely fall asleep during his friend's tale.

"You know, last night was really borin' for me," Jou started off, making Yugi pressed his lips into a thin line before the human tried to apologize, " Jou, I'm really sorr-"

"Ah ah, let me finish my lovely human friend," Jou said patting Yugi's head, earning a groan from said human. " Yeah, so last night by far not on my best nights eva' list. Cause, none of my pals were there to liven things up with me."

"Wait, Ryou and Malik weren't there?" Yugi asked bewildered as he leaned back in his chair.

"Nope, " Jonouchi answered with a bitter tone. " Bakura said he had just fed from Ryou the day before, and wasn't risking him being out in the open with so many vampires around; and Malik was forbidden to go by his sister, who Marik claimed was being overprotective for not letting her baby brother go out with vampires on Halloween night," The vampire explained in a bored fashion leaning back, while bracing his upper torso. "Which is why all three of you are going to be making it up for ditchin' me on Halloween night," The vampire flashed Yugi a devious grin with a playful glint in his eyes.

Yugi smiled back at him and raised an eyebrow out his friend. "Oh, we are? And whose house will we be torturing until the early morning hours?"

"Not a house, Yug'. It's which club, we will be terrorizing on this lovely Friday evenin'," Jou corrected him as his grin started to reveal his stunning white teeth. "And that shall be the infamous Club Cosmic!"

The human's mouth dropped slightly in amazement. To think his best friend got them into the most popular nightclub in Domino city was a miracle. "How did you get us into Cosmic, being under aged and on such a short notice too?!"

"I have my sources and natural charm to thank for that," Jonouchi boasted with a smug smile, feeling proud of himself.

The blonde was basking in the glory of what he had achieved for only a short time before he was hit on the back of the head lightly. "Ow! Who did that?"

Turning around, Jonouchi came face to face with the Prince of Vampires, Yami Sennen.

Normal vampires and humans would have bowed to the high-ranking pureblood vampire and gave him a proper greeting, but Jou wasn't a normal vampire nor was he a human anymore. Instead, the blonde narrowed his eyes at the vampire before him while rubbing the sore spot on his head. "What the hell was that for Yami?"

Yugi's violet eyes widened at the sight of Yami Sennen, before he immediate looked away from the man. His heart was pounding fast in his chest, worried that last night was about to come back in bit him in the butt. What if his concealing stone hadn't worked? What if the royal recognized his scent in the basement of the estate? What would he do if he had to make a run for it? He couldn't possibly jump out the window, their classroom was on the third story, and he would just kill himself if he did that. There was also Jonouchi too. I f Yami had indeed picked recognized his scent, then how would Yugi explain it to Jou?

The hunter in training was pulled out of his troublesome thoughts by his friend's abrupt shaking and pointing at the royal vampire. "Tell him, that it ain't so, Yugi! Tell him my charm isn't in fightin' with Moneybags!"

The human blinked his violet eyes, completely confused by what his friend meant but he complied nonetheless for their friendship. "Um….It's not?"

For some reason, Yami found it appropriate to laugh at his response, which irritated Yugi to no end. He may have been a little out of it when he replied, given that he had been worried about matters that could have ended his life it went bad, but that didn't give a stranger permission to laugh at him. Especially in public.

"Well now that is very, convening Jonouchi," Yami's deep voice teased Yugi's friend. At first Yugi felt his anger flare up in his chest and was ready to snap at the other, but he soon heard his best friend's rough laughter mix in with Yami's deep chuckles. The sound of Jou's mirth started to automatically calm Yugi down. The human couldn't help but wonder why Jou was laughing along with the Prince of vampires of all people. Rationally, Yugi couldn't find anything that the royal would have said that Jou would have found funny. Maybe it was some unspoken vampire custom? But, it was more likely that his friend had been laughing at the anger that was apparent on Yugi's face.

"So Yug', what drinks do you think we should try at Cosmic? There's bound to be some crazy stuff there that'll be fun to try!" Jou asked his friend smiling at him.

"Well I think-"

"I recommend the Blood Redemption," Yami interrupted the human to offer his suggestion.

"Hmm, really? The name kinda sounds a bit too classy for a guy like me. You know what I'm sayin'?"

"The name is classy, but trust me on this Katsuya. The drink will make and heavyweight a lightweight with just one glass, and give you a buzz you'll be craving for at least two weeks."

"Sweet! I'll try it out man, though there's also the Pharaoh's revenge, I wanna give a try. I heard it was pretty good too, " Jou replied carrying on the conversation that had been meant for him and his best friend, but was now having it with the leader of the vampire race.

Yugi felt as if he had been forced into a third wheel position when Yami was actually the third wheel in this conversation. The human sunk down in his chair with a light sigh while watching Jou engage himself into the conversation about different types of vampire alcoholic beverages. Yugi knew what he felt wasn't jealousy, no, he knew the envious emotion fairly well, and normally refused to let himself feel as so, however, the human did feel like he was being ignored.

Yugi looked up at the clock in the front of their classroom, noticing how it was almost time for class to begin. Staying silent as the two vampires talked and hardly noticed him, Yugi went about gathering his things for his first class, before the bell for first period rang.

Ding dong, ding dong!

The moment the bell rung, Yugi heard his friend groan in annoyance and the human couldn't help but laugh at him. "What's the matter Jou, did you not do your homework again?"

"No, that's not it," The vampire waved Yugi's question and slide off his desk. "I got sidetrack, no thanks to the Prince here," He jutted his thumb in the direction of Yami. "I was meaning to tell ya the details for tonight, but I'll relay them to ya' later at lunch. Is that fine Yugi?"

"Yeah, that's cool," Yugi spoke trying to mimic Jonouchi's style of speech, earning a laugh from his friend.

Jou raised his fist up and Yugi did the same before hitting them together. "All right pal, I'll talk to ya' about it at lunch with the other three goofs," The blonde vampire said and waved to his friend as he claimed his seat.

Yugi smiled to himself at the thought of hanging out with his friend in the evening. It had been at least four weeks since all five of them, (Jou, Malik, Ryou, Honda, and himself) had hung out together and it was needless to say, they were way over do for some bonding time. And what better way to celebrate their reunion than at Cosmic? For that, Jou was close to a saint in Yugi's mind. Even though the blonde was one of the farthest people from even being was so grateful to his friend.

That reminded Yugi, he should probably thank Jou. Looking over in the direction of his friend, Yugi spotted the rowdy blonde vampire already engaging himself into another verbal argument with the one and only, Seto Kaiba. The human bit his bottom lip to suppress his smile. He would just save that 'thank you' for later. He knew how much his best friend enjoyed his fights with the CEO of Kaiba Corporation.

As Yugi started to direct his attention back towards getting his things ready for his first class period of the day, his eyes strayed towards his peer sitting next to him. Clearly the violet orbs were disobeying his mind, but that hushed up as he started to notice the small details of Yami Sennen.

The hunter trainee had never truly spent any time to actually take in Yami's facial features. He couldn't care to give the pureblood a second glance, despite how yami's overall appearance demanded to be stared at. This man was stunning, which was no surprise since most vampires had beautiful features to attract humans, but Yami was defiantly one of the finest looking ones around. It was similar to the way the sealed vampire Yugi had the pleasure of meeting last night, influenced him. Both of their physical feature captivated Yugi's mind like no other vampire's would.

The more Yugi thought about how the two held many similarities, the more the human secretly gazed at the regal hair was almost the same, beside Yami's crimson tips that faded into violet at the base of his neck where the sealed vampire's did not. The two both had sharp noses, but Yami's was more pointed. They both had high cheekbones, angular faces and thick eyelashes. The only actually major difference the two shared, had to be their skin tone. Where the sleeping vampire had beautiful caramel colored skin plagued by an ashen look, Yami had silky smooth skin and his skin was free from the signs of-

Yugi's violet eyes narrowed at the visible discoloration of Yami's slim fingers. That was rather odd sight. A pedigree, a pureblood vampire, showing even the slightest signs of starvation. How could that could have gone by unnoticed by the royal court, but be notice by a human?

"Do you need something from me?" Yami's unmistakable deep voice rang in Yugi's ear like a group of church bells ringing in the evening.

The human blinked his eyes, forcing them to look up into crimson eyes that looked slightly disgusted. It made Yugi want cringe and slap the look of of the vampire's face, however, he refrained from doing so and made himself look uninterested in the vampire.

"No, I was just thinking," He replied, sitting up in his seat, turning the pages of his note-book to the last section of notes he had last wrote down.

"Mind voicing your thoughts then? You had to be thinking about something that involved me since, you were staring so intensely at my hands. You've made me quite curious now," The vampire pressed on, seeming rather interested in what Yugi had to say.

Yugi gazed at him from his peripheral vision, not wanting to look the male in the eye. "I do mind," The human stated defiantly. "I don't have to share my private thoughts with you."

The seventeen year old human tried his best not look smug when he took in the appalled look on Yami's face. He didn't want the others think he was enjoying himself while he argued with one of the most powerful vampires in the world. If he did, that would just cause unwanted attention to be drawn to him.

"Human, it would be smart if you just told me what you were thinking about," Yugi heard the pureblood snarl with aggravation thick in his tone.

"Well here's a hint-" Yugi started off, turning to face Yami directly and pointed his index finger discreetly at Yami's slightly discolored hands. "Why don't you go to the local blood bank after school, and get some nice 'O' negative blood to drink," The human clamped his mouth shut after the words had slipped from his mouth. He instantly felt himself regretting them, but refuse to apologize, not when he meant them despite his regret.

Yami's crimson eyes widened at Yugi's words, before the vampire twisted his head away from the human and hid his hands underneath his desk. "Mind your own business and be quiet," He muttered under his breath.

"With pleasure, if you do the same," Yugi replied softly, avoiding his eyes from Yami.

Tension settled over the two, both refusing to look at the other. Yugi couldn't help but regret his choice of words, his first actual conversation with the 'Prince' and he practically showed no respect for the other. Something that was not normal for the human teenager. Yugi started to blame it on his lack of sleep and the irritability it caused him to have, but he knew better than that. Even if he had gotten more sleep, he and yami still would have snapped at each other most likely.

When his teacher entered the room, all chattering ceased and the entire classroom stood to greet their teacher, and bow into class. Glance at Yami to his right while bowed to the teacher, Yugi let out a sigh before closing his eyes. He could already tell his school day was going to be a very stressful one.

* * *

And how right he was.

By the time Yugi arrived home, the human could barely even function. His mind was so exhausted from all the class work throughout the day and from the tension battle between him and the Prince of the Vampires. Not to mention his legs were aching from all the running they did in P.E., even though the human was actually a decent runner. He figured that this was his life's way of punishing him for entering a tomb of a seal vampire, without really knowing if the vampire was dead or not.

The teen quietly unlocked the back door of the Kame Game shop before entering his home. The teen didn't bother with taking of his shoes as he made his way upstairs, forcing his legs to take the stairs two at at time. He would take his shoes off once he got to his room, his grandpa wouldn't mind him wearing them in house.

It was odd though, his home was never this quiet; nor was the game shop closed at this hour of the day. The teen couldn't help but wonder if his grandpa had stepped out to run into town for something. It confused the teen, but also cause him to worry for the old man's safety.

"Grandpa?" Yugi called out in a questioning tone as he entered the upstairs part of his home. "Are you home?"

Silence answered him back as he ventured into the kitchen. Yugi was slightly relieved as he placed his school bag on one of the dining table's chairs, though he couldn't help wonder where his grandfather had ran off to. Opening the backpack up, Yugi peered inside to find the bags of blood he had purchased on his woy home, had made the journey safely. It was a good thing too, he didn't feel like explaining to his grandfather why his school bag would be drenched in blood. That conversation would have not ended well.

Looking up from his schoolbag, Yugi's violet eyes spotted a familiar red manila envelope sitting on the table, along with a neatly folded sheet of notebook paper laying on top of it. Yugi smiled as he leaned over the chair his back pack sat in, and his fingertips pulled the piece of paper and the large formal envelope closer towards him until he could actually grasp the items in his hands.

Unfolding the notebook paper, Yugi started reading it first, knowing already it was a note from his beloved grandfather.

'Yugi, a new shipment arrived today at the docks, so I went to pick it up. I closed the shop early today so don't worry about opening it when you get home. I'll keep it open a bit later than normal, tomorrow to make for the lost time. Also, it seems Max sent you quite a bit details this go around. I haven't touched it, other than when the mailman handed it over to me when I signed for it. Remember to be careful, just because our family's 'curse' avoided my generation, doesn't mean it'll avoid yours. I'll be home late tonight. Leave a note if you're going out, so I'll at least know where you went. - Love Grandpa.'

Yugi sighed and rolled his eyes at his grandfather's protective words. That was just his grandpa's mind playing tricks on the old man, their family wasn't curse. His grandpa was just lucky he wasn't mauled by a vampire before his retirement. While his parents and other relatives weren't as lucky. They just happen to die after getting too involved with vampire affairs. His parents were prime examples of that, or so his grandfather had rambled on about after their death.

Yugi moved his school bag out of its chair, and sat down. He laid the manila envelope and the note down on the table as he ran his hands through his hair and exhaled. He didn't want to have his parents' death in his head, not when he was determined to stay out of major harm, and especially not with him about to open the envelope that had the top secret information about his next mission. Although, Yugi highly doubt it was of any significance to the association's actual plans. He normally just got stuck with busy work that gave him the taste of what the work real vampire hunters are assigned.

The seventeen year old undid the metal clasp on the envelope and quickly pulled out the classified information. Yugi's eyes widened slightly when he seen not one sleek black folder, but two of them plus a three page letter and a smaller white manila envelope. Yugi felt his heart grow heavier as he looked over all the materials. These were items his grandfather normally received when he had a 'special job' as the old man called it, to do. The trainee wasn't sure how to react other than frightful that he was being sent out to a battlefield to be killed. Was it possibly Pegasus had figured out that he lied to him and was punishing him by giving an actual hunter's mission? Yugi prayed not. He wasn't ready yet, He still had at least another two and half years before he could 'graduate' from the hunter training program and go on a real field mission.

Biting his bottom lip nervously, Yugi picked up the three page letter. His mind was coming up with several possibilities that the letter could possibly state. He felt his muscles tense up and he started to quiver slightly. The boy closed his eyes and inhaled through his nose, holding his breath. 'Calm yourself, it's just a 'tedious' mission by the Director's standards. Nothing more, nothing less.' The human exhaled after he felt calm enough to read the letter. His muscles only relaxed slightly, but at least he had stopped shaking.

His violet eyes finally reopened themselves and glanced down at the neatly typed words in Times New Roman.

'Yugi Mutou, I am well aware this is not the normal necessities a trainee is given for a mission, but this, in all aspects, is no normal mission. Before you call me wondering if I got a hunter's mission mixed up with yours, please read this entire letter. It'll clear the confusion you must be suffering from. You are a smart child, I'm sure you can figure out a few of the missing details.' So Pegasus was already several steps ahead of him, how lovely.

'This particular mission is going to be challenging, long, and may even get on your nerves, however, you should never once drop your guard while on it. This particular objective I am assigning you, could very well kill you once you start it. Typically for these types of assignments, I would have given to a hunter who has completed their training, met all requirements, has been pledged in and entered into our database. But due to the properties of this mission, it calls for a skilled personal that is not pledged in to the Association or in our database.'

Yugi sighed through his nose and closed his eyes for a brief moment, and swore under his breath. His mind was already putting 'two and two' together. The human just knew, this was not going to end well and had feeling he might have to knock on deaths door a little earlier in his, just like every generation in his family. Maybe the curse mumbo-jumbo that spills out of his grandpa's mouth every time he had a mission, was true.

Reopening his eyes, Yugi skimmed through the rest of the introduction with his violet eyes, not really reading any other warnings. It was the same things that Pegasus always preached in his mission briefing letters. Just faked caring words that held no value at all.

Finally, after flipping to the second page, Yugi found where his actual mission briefing was stated. He sat up a little straighter as he read the short statement:

'Your mission is to be the International Vampire Hunter Association's source of information on the inside, our direct link to Yami Sennen and the royal court.'

Yugi drew in a sharp breath and clenched his teeth, restraining himself from saying anything just in case his grandfather walked in at any given moment. His violet eyes were still staring at the twenty six words with hatred that could kill, despite the teen's normal pacifistic attitude. The more he glared at them, the bigger headache he got and small hints fear started to plague his mind.

He couldn't get close to Yami in such away. They were complete opposites who hated each other, just like oil and water. Today had been proof of that. There was just no way he could unless-

The human's eyes grew wide before he fumbled around with the briefing letter, hoping to find a loophole out of the thought that had just occurred to him. He reluctantly started to read where he left off. If he couldn't find a way around becoming a Feeder; his grandpa was going to kill him if he couldn't.

'In order to become our inside source and not be discovered immediately, you will be cut from all ties that may link you to having a possible current connection to the I.V.H.A. Other than a monthly meeting at the end of each month, starting after the upcoming New Year, you will have no contact with the base or any others associated with our organization currently. I only wish to have information about the court's major plans, important occurrences, and all rogue information. To acquire those details will not be an easy task . You must befriend a vast number of vampires that are a part of the royal court and become very close to Yami Sennen himself. I recommend you becoming The Prince's Feeder, even if it is against our rules, I will overlook your status as his feeder and still consider you for a possible enlisting candidate in the future.

Over the years, the I.V.H.A. has discover that vampires do put a great deal of trust and care into the ones the feed from. As Director of the Domino branch and the Eastern Representative of the I.V.H.A., I believe it would be in your best interest in becoming Yami Sennen's Feeder, for your own protection. Vampires have their own rules regarding human feeders, most of them are in place for protection of the human. Royals are no exception for these rules, and therefore, you will be safe and remain safe at the side of Yami Sennen.'

Yugi let out a shaky breath, clenching the letter tightly in his hands, causing the paper to wrinkle and threaten to tear. Pegasus didn't disapprove it, instead he encouraged Yugi to walk straight into the jaws of potential death.

The human found himself bitter from the fact, he practically was being tossed into the enemy's lines as a human meat shield. He placed the letter, now crinkled, back into the manila envelope before placing the black folders and photo envelope back inside the tan encasement. He would deal with this…'stuff' later. He couldn't let his mood become foul because he had received orders that was making him 'butt hurt', as Jonouchi would say.

Standing from his seat at the dining table, Yugi grabbed his schoolbag off the floor and the manila envelope. He tried to rid himself of his sour mood by thinking about his plans for the night. He wasn't going to let the I.V.H.A. ruin his plans of fun for the night. They could rob him of a long life, but the Association wasn't going to steal what little fun and immature moments he could have during his life. Yugi would make sure of it.

* * *

After taking a long hot shower, changing out of his navy blue school uniform and into something more fitting for tonight's outing; Yugi was quick to leave his home and rush to meet his friends at the local park. He was determined to push everything related to his vampire hunting life, out the back door of his mind for this one single night. He was going to enjoy his time with his friends and not give a single damn about his darkening future.

With just ten minutes of navigating his way through the orange lit streets, Yugi arrived at the park his friends had arranged to meet at. His face lit up happily and nearly every ounce of stress left his body as his started to run towards the two familiar figures with their back to the setting sun.

"Jonouchi! Malik!" The seventeen year old greeted the two as he slowed his run down to a brisk walk and came to stand in front of his two friends. Yugi's face held a genuine smile as he high-fived both of the other males, who greeted him back.

"Bout' time you showed up, " Jou teased light-heartedly.

"Mhmm, I thought Jonouchi was going to have go drag you out of your house. But I can see why you were running a little late-" Malik's sharp pale lavender eyes looked up and down Yugi's body, twice. "- You look good."

Yugi gave a light shrug at the comment, and smiled casually. He wasn't dressed too fancy, but he wasn't in rags either. The vampire hunter trainee wore a violet short-sleeved Ralph Lauren polo, a pair of dark skinny Levi jeans, matching flat top violet Vans, and topped it off with a black Denali fleece North Face jacket. Yugi's gravity defying hair had been tamed and pulled back into a low ponytail with his bangs framing his face as normal. "I figured this would be appropriate for tonight. You guys look rather stunning yourselves."

Yugi's violet eyes picked up on both Jonouchi's and Malik's choice of attire. He had to admit it, his friends looked good in the clothes they dawned.

Jonouchi wore a stunning white Calvin Klein fleece hoodie with a light blue T- shirt underneath, loose dark jeans hung from his hips, while his feet were covered by a gray and white Adidas sneakers. Yugi thought the outfit complimented his best friend greatly, bringing out his honey colored eyes and outlining his taut build perfectly, while Malik had a gray slim fit long sleeve Alfani v-neck covering his torso, faded slim fitting blue jeans, and a pair of black and gray Super Fly Jordan's. Leave it to Malik to make him feel under-dress, the Egyptian never had to worry about old styled clothing every touching his body. His vampire and also lover, made sure he had the some of the best clothes in the fashion something was trending, Marik always made sure Malik had the option in his wardrobe.

"Sure do, but you're the one that's gonna blow the crowd away," Jonouchi leaned in towards Yugi, taking a large whiff of his scent. His eyes fluttered closed, before reopening to reveal scarlet hues that had a craving for blood. "You're wearing the cologne I bought cha' last year."

Yugi's body stiffened, trying to force his hunter instincts to remain calm as Jou's eyes expressed his desire and need for fresh source of blood. 'It's just Jou, he's not going to hurt you. Calm down.' It used too much of the human's willpower for Yugi just to act normal, smiling and giving a simple nod. "Yeah, I thought it would be perfect for tonight."

Malik laughed lightly in the background. "We're supposed to be hanging out with each other Yugi, not chasing some tail!"

"I don't think Yugi would like that kind of attention his cologne might draw."

Yugi had been debating if he should have slapped Malik on the back of the head when Ryou, their white-haired brown doe-eyed friend, appeared before them. Yugi's eyes brighten up when his trio of best friends were finally completed. The seventeen year old wasted no time to greet his friend with a bright smile and with an excited. "Ryou!"

The British white-haired male smiled as he waved at his Japanese friend. "Hello," He greeted sweetly, before brushing off his stunning outfit.

Ryou was dressed in a soft blue cashmere Clubroom v-neck sweater with a white button up dress shirt underneath, fitting khaki pants hung from his hips secured by sleek black belt and light grey Sperries covered in his feet. Trust Bakura to not allow his lover to go out without dressing in anything less than a hundred dollars. Yugi thought the vampire was spoiling his friend, but he knew better than to think the special treatment would go to his white-haired friend's head. Ryou wasn't the type of person who'd let himself be spoiled by such treatment.

Yugi's eyes flickered to Jonouchi when he notice his friend wrinkling his nose slightly and eyed Ryou. "Shada is followin' you?" Joey's odd New York accent questioned Ryou, confused.

The fair skin human rubbed the back of his head, before looking of his shoulder then back to Jou. "I suppose so. Kura had asked him to keep an eye on me."

"So that means stalkin' ya from the shadows?" The vampire out of the four friends asked, flicking Ryou's nose lightly.

"In Bakura's standards, that's gotta be a yes," Malik answered Jonouchi before the British male could even open his mouth to defend Shada.

Yugi was oddly silent, his eyes focused on the shadows and the dim figure of a person highlighted by the setting sun. Although normally he was quite relaxed and free from any of his instincts the I.V.H.A. had forced him to learn and uphold, he couldn't relax with an unknown vampire lurking behind him. He hated turning his back to a stranger he didn't know. How could he be sure that they wouldn't attack him when his defenses were lowered? Forcing his eyes to stop searching for the mysterious vampire, Yugi was eager to ditch the looming potential threat.

"How about we ditch those standards then? Just for tonight?" Yugi whispered softly, hoping that the vampire following Ryou wouldn't overhear the words with his keen hearing. "We could take a few complicated routes and I could give Ryou my family's concealing stone. He won't be able to find us that easily then."

Malik smirked and raised an eyebrow at Yugi, before walking over to the shorter teen's left and resting his arm on his shoulder. "I like that idea. Let's stir up some trouble and cause our vampires to worry a bit. Plus it'll be so much fun and Marik looks rather hot when he's pissed off. "

"But-"

"But nothin'' Ry'! " Jonouchi interrupted Ryou and placed his hands down on the human's slender shoulders after coming to stand in front of the white-haired male. " I think we should cause Bakura to squirm a bit, he's been too cocky for my likin' lately and needs to be ruffled up. Plus, Shada's a bit of a buzz kill," The golden-haired vampire stated with a shrug of his shoulders. "That guy even puts Moneybags asleep in those meetin' things they do."

Yugi gave Ryou a reassuring smile when he seen the worrisome look in the British male's soft brown eyes. Shrugging away from Malik's arm, Yugi closed the small distances between him and Ryou and touched his arm gently in a reassuring way. "Ryou, nothing bad will happen to us. You have Jou, Malik, and I to keep you safe. We'll protect you even from Bakura's wrath," Yugi winked at his friend and fished his concealing stone out of his pocket, he was glad he never went anywhere without it.

The human carefully placed the chain over Ryou's head so the blood-red stone would rest around the other teen's neck soundly. Ryou smiled at Yugi first, then to Jonouchi and Malik. "Right. Very well then, if we wish to cause some hell then we should get to it. We don't need to waste our night way."

Yugi, Jonouchi and Malik's faces were lit up by bright grins as Jonouchi lead the way towards Cosmic with Malik hot on his heels and Yugi with Ryou right behind him. "All right ladies~" Jonouchi's spoke in a sing-song tone. " Let' ditch this motha fucka!"

* * *

Cosmic was the nightclub of all the nightclubs in Domino City.

There was a reason the club was so famous in the teen and young adult population that made up Domino City, and Yugi was quick to find out why. Cosmic was a large establishment in the center of downtown Domino City and just the exterior alone, was enough to wow the human. The building was made from black stone, neon lights outlined the large entry doors of the club and flashed a verity colors in time with the thudding music from inside it club. In clear elegant writing, the name of the club was displayed in a brilliant white. Four large security guards were station outside the nightclub, maintaining the club's order and only allowing those with paid tickets and reservations in. They reminded Yugi of bodybuilders on steroids, it even caused him to wonder just how they got muscles that big.

While following Jonouchi's lead into the club, the hunter in training was surprised to see how easily he and his friends were able to enter the club through the reservation Jou had made. He wondered how the blonde vampire could obtain entrance so easily to the club, however, that thought was quickly wiped from Yugi's mind as his friends and himself entered the main floor of Cosmic's two-story extravaganza.

The nightclub's interior was nothing in comparison to the exterior. Everything looked like it had been made from crystals or had been crystallized in some way, shape and form. Lights of blues and purples flashed wildly to the beat of Touchin', Lovin' by Trey Songz. Humans and vampires alike, were crowding the large dance floor and trying to awaken the dead with their dancing, cheerful screams, and chatter. On the left side of the nightclub, a large bar was serving every type of drink imaginable in the world, alcoholic and non-alcoholic.

With violet eyes wide open, Yugi was barely able to take in his surroundings fully before Jou turned around and faced the three humans. The vampire's face could pass for the definition of excitement as his arms gestured to the clubs magnificent interior. "This Is Cosmic-"Jonouchi's eyes shifted from their normal honey gold color to a bright scarlet for a second time that night, "-Now let's raise some hell!"

The three hours that Yugi and his friends had spent in Cosmic had rushed by them all too quickly. The human was having too much fun with his best friends and god, how it made him miss the nights before he enrolled in the I.V.H.A.. The ones that he and his friend used to terrorize the streets of Domino. Those days had been so much fun.

So far, Yugi had only had one mixed alcoholic drink to Jonouchi's five, Malik's six and Ryou's three, however, the shortest out of the four was already buzzed from one drink. His smaller body seemed to be unable to handle the rather strong alcoholic beverage as well as his friends. But Yugi was far from being drunk. He was just juiced, filled with energy that seemed to never fade in the slightest. Even with all the dancing he had done on the dance floor.

Ryou on the other hand was beyond drunk, with Malik completely wasted and passed out in one of the club's booths in the bar area, and Jonouchi was still sober and strong and flirting with a few girls. The tipsy British teen was a sack of giggles who, was constantly trying to seduce Yugi into dancing with him. Though Ryou's clumsy and sluggish movements were making it impossible for Yugi actually properly dance with him in the night club, Yugi was patient. Enjoying this hilarious moment in his friend's life as he tried help sway his hip to the beat.

As Don't tell 'Em by Jeremih started to fill Comic's first floor, all of Yugi's intentions for helping his drunken friend regain his dancing skills, left his mind. His body swaying to the sweet tones of the song, his violet eyes drifted close as his mind zoned out and his body moved on its own to the rhythm of the music. Every bit of tension had left Yugi's body, his muscles completely relaxed to help him flow from one move to another. The seventeen year old let his mind focus on the english lyrics as he danced to the beat.

'Know you say you down with it

Won't tell 'em how you hit the ground with it'

Yugi dipped down low towards the ground before straightening up and flexing his torso slightly. His overall movements were graceful and erotic, fitting the theme for both the club's atmosphere and the song itself. He was just about to pivot on his right foot, when he came face to face with Bakura. The albino vampire that was Ryou's boyfriend.

Caught off guard, Yugi stumbled back and fell backwards on his ass. His violet eyes gazed wide-eyed at Bakura who didn't look too thrilled with Yugi.

"Did you really have to give him that?" The rough voice of Bakura asked as the vampire dropped Yugi's concealing stone in his the human's lap.

Yugi quickly pocketed his concealing stone, not wanting it to be stolen or get lost. "Well, did you really have to have a vampire stalk Ryou?"

Bakura tsked and scowled at Yugi like he was the gum on the bottom of his shoe. "I do what I want, a human's opinion doesn't matter to me," The vampire snapped harshly. "Especially when one forces me to run around the entire city after receiving word that Ryou scent had been lost!"

Yugi stood up, noticing Ryou hanging on to Bakura's arm. He dusted off his clothes and looked Bakura up and down, taking note of the black trench coat and black dress slack he wore. "Jou was the one who got your tracker lost, I just made sure he couldn't find out where we went."

"Well how about you make sure I can find my food first, before doing such stupid acts! I will kill the three of you the next chance-Hmm!" Bakura was silenced when Ryou placed his lips on his angry vampire's pale lips. When the white haired human pulled away, he sluggishly bobbed Bakura on the back of his head with a glare. "You are not to kill anyone, understand 'Kura?" The human's words were slurred, but the firmness in them was still there.

Yugi heard soft muttering from Bakura before he watch the vampire place an arm around Ryou's waist and tugged him close. The human averted his eyes from Bakura's dark eyes that were the color of dried blood, he wasn't sure how he would react if he seen the vampire shooting him a threatening glare, however, that didn't keep Yugi from shooting Ryou concerned glances through his peripheral vision. When the two white-haired males were out of his line of sight Yugi sighed and started to make his way towards the round booth Malik was passed out at ,and where Jou was enjoying a small blood absinthe.

With a pout sulking pout on his face, Yugi sat next to the sleeping Malik and watched Jonouchi drink the alcoholic beverage with a disappointed pout. As if asking him what was wrong, Jou raised a questioning eyebrow, never pausing his gulping.

"Ryou was stolen from us by Bakura," Yugi verbalized with a sadden tone as he poked Malik to see if the sandy blonde haired Egyptian would stir. When Malik didn't move, Yugi concluded the poor guy was out for the night, and wouldn't wake up til hours later with one hell of a hangover.

Jonouchi sat down his drink with a sigh and cleared his throat several times. "Well dat's just fantastic. I guess party time is over then, huh? Cause I'm nearly drunk. Malik is over here snoozin' the night away, and you're uh...Did you even have a drink?"

" I had one, it was strong enough to give me a bit of a buzz, but not enough to make me drunk," Yugi replied picking up a pen on the table for Jou to sign his check with, using it to draw and write on Malik's face.

The vampire did his best to muffle his snickers as Yugi's horrible artistic skills covered their friend's face in drawings that looked like a ten-year old had drawn. Setting the pen down Yugi smiled as he took in his work on Malik's face. He knew the other human would get him back at a later date for drawing 'stick' penises on his left cheek and a horribly drawn chibi headshot of Marik on his forehead with hearts and "I love you's" written around it, however, it was worth it.

"So I'm guessing You'll be taking him home then?" Yugi asked as he watch Jou sign his check, before adding a few of his own drawings to Mailk's right cheek.

" Yeah pal, I'll take him. I doubt ya' could lift his fat butt, anyways, " Jonouchi teased Yugi with a playful snicker and a bright smile.

The human narrowed his violet eyes at his friend before pushing Malik over so he was leaning against Jonouchi. "Hey! I threw your ass to the ground this morning. I'm sure Malik, isn't as fat you! There's a chance I could carry his butt longer than your fat one. "

"I'm all muscle Yug', there's no fat in me," Jou said playfully shoving Malik towards Yugi. Not wanting their sleeping friend to use him as a pillow. Yugi pushed Malik back towards Jou before the Egyptian could even slump over towards him.

Jou quickly slid to his left, avoiding Malik 's leaning body which eventually just slumped over till he was laying down on his side where Jonouchi had been seated earlier. "Hah! Ya didn't get me!" The honey blonde-haired boy said in victory with a smile stretching from ear to ear. Yugi on the other hand groaned, frowning in defeat.

"Cheater," The human seventeen year old said as he scooted out of the booth while Jou dragged Malik out as he too, exited the round booth.

"I ain't a cheater, I was just usin' my resources," Jonouchi said triumphantly as he tossed Malik over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. It stunned Yugi to see their Egyptian friend was still a sleep even after such rough treatment.

Shaking his head with a brief smile, Yugi followed Jou out of the nightclub. "Whatever you say, Jou." The human nudged his best friend lightly in the side.

The two walked together up until they had reached Kame Game shop. Even though Yugi was more than capable of walking home by himself, he was grateful Jou decide to walk him home. It allowed him to have extra time to talk with the other male, and make sure he was at least somewhat sober. After standing in front of Kame Game shop for ten minutes just talking, Jonouchi and Yugi finally said their goodbyes and parted ways.

As Yugi entered his home and retreated to his room, the day's events started to slowly flood his mind as if it wanted to remind him of his obligations he had. The violet eyed teen sighed heavily as he enter his room, a feeling of uneasiness over flooded him. And for the first time in a very long time, Yugi wished he wasn't at home and alone. He didn't want to face his mission, just yet. He didn't want to have to start planning his will in case he were to die in the upcoming days. Yugi wanted to escape his reality for an hour more.

His eyes glanced towards his sock drawer out of desperation, as he remembered a possible way to temporarily escape his reality.

* * *

He seriously couldn't believe what he was doing. Sneaking back into the basement of the Muran estate through the city's sewer system, in some of his best clothing with a pint of blood hidden in the backpack he carried during his last mission. The fact he had actually he managed to make it back into the tomb like room filled with the luxurious items from past centuries, was rather surprising to Yugi. He thought there would have been at least something blocking his way since his last visit, but nothing had been done.

When he reached the area where the secret tomb was located at, Yugi placed his backpack down on the ground and unzipped it. This time he had come prepared, for the nauseating smell of decaying animal flesh and the darkness it was cloaked in. After pulling out a simple flashlight, a scarf, and a white medical mask from the first-aid kit he brought; Yugi closed up his bookbag and placed its straps back on his shoulders. Yugi wasted no time covering his mouth and nose up with the white mask and wrapping the lower half of his face up with the scarf. It wasn't the best protection from the horrible smell, but it would work…hopefully.

Yugi held onto his flashlight in his left hand while he used his right one to insert his glowing concealing stone into the small cut in the white limestone wall. Just like last time, the ground started to shake violently as part of the wall started to sink down into in floor. Once the shaking stopped Yugi ventured into the dark corridor and flipped on his flashlight. The human avoided shining it towards the floor, instead he allowed the light to reflect against the walls of the tomb. Not even two steps into the corridor Yugi found another indention in the wall, just like the one in the other chamber. Allowing his curiosity to get the better of him, Yugi placed his concealing stone into the neatly cut out hole. Once again, the ground shook as the wall behind him started to close up his exit.

Yugi pressed his lips into a thin line, before he turned back around and started to walk towards the room that was like a king's chamber inside one of the ancient Egyptian pyramids. He hoped his cell phone had service in this place, just in case he was stranded here. If anything were to happen, he would call Jou. Although he might get in trouble for being in such a place, at least he could get out with coming out in a body bag or worse, become part of the rotting flesh on the floor. That was the last thing Yugi wanted to do.

Once he finally entered the large secret chamber, Yugi felt all his worries evaporate almost into thin air. It left his mind with so many questions how the room could just simply take his worries away like that, however, it didn't faze his body movements on bit as his legs and feet propelled him in the direction of the faceless stone sarcophagus. Dropping his black backpack onto the ground next to the marble pedestal the coffin sat on top of, the human pulled off his scarf and mask and shoved them into his backpack, along with his flashlight. With that done, he stood up straight and started to shove the top of the stone coffin off. Yugi made quick work of the stone coffin's top, already having it off the stone sarcophagus and revealing the gold faceless pharaoh like coffin inside, in just three short minutes. Yugi wasted no time with pushing the golden cofffin lid off too.

In half the time it took for the first time he opened up both the coffins, Yugi found himself face to face with the sealed vampire. The human felt his pale pink lips pull into a small pitting smile as he reached a hand to gently rest on the 'sleeping' vampire's right shoulder. The presence of this man was overwhelming for Yugi. The atmosphere of the vampire was like the one his friends created around him when he was having a bad day, or from when his grandpa would hug him when he came from school when he was little. It even reminded him of one of the few memories he had of his deceased parents. It was just so…so relaxing and warm. 'Why is it like this?'

Yugi's smile fell into a slight frown as his bright eyes dulled slightly. "Why do you…make me feel like this? I…I don't even know you, yet…yet…" The human trailed off. He could think of the words to say.

'Why am I even speaking out loud?' Yugi's facial expression turned into confusion from the question ringing in his head. His mind was in chaos searching for the answer until one possibility seemed to explain the unexplained. Compulsion.

Yugi's heart rate seemed to go into a frenzy from the thought of compulsion being a possibility. He breathing started to become uneven as he desperately tried to convince himself that wasn't the reason. He couldn't be under the influence of compulsion, he just couldn't be.

"It's not possible right? I'm not being used by you, am I? It is not possible. It. Is. Not. Possible," His legs felt weak. Not wanting to fall, Yugi took a seat on the edge of the marble pedestal that held up the sealed vampire's coffins. "The Association taught all of us, hunters and apprentices, that seal vampires could use compulsion. They even showed us how to detect and resist compulsion even if a normal healthy vampire attempted to use it on us! It's nearly impossible for me to be influenced by compulsion. Bakura, Marik, Seto, even Jou cannot use it on me! So then why…"

The moment Yugi made eye contact with vampire's peaceful face, Yugi realized he was just simply just overreacting about his thoughts to himself and talking out loud.

The seventeen year old male groaned and ran his hands over his face. "I'm going insane. I must be from all this stress," He peered back down at the sealed vampire and felt his face soften a bit. His pulse slowed and his breathing started to even itself out again.

Yugi let his hands drop to his lap, while his head tilted up to gaze at the dark limestone ceiling. "I don't know you, or even know if you're alive. But you're able to… to make me feel so at ease. It's so confusing," Yugi verbalized his thoughts, not even caring that the words were flowing straight from his mind and out his mouth without a single thought more. "I know you must be somewhat import to the royal vampire family. I can gather that much from this-" He gestured his hand to the room he was in with the sealed vampire, "- and how my grandpa reacted to your pictures. He called you a monster, which is odd. Grandpa never calls any vampires a monster, expect rouges. Though he did start to call you something else. I think it started with Ph-" Yugi closed his eyes and tilted his head to the side in thought.

"Ph….Ph….Pharaoh? Well, that would make sense. The walls around us all speak about a great pharaoh of two kingdoms. Was that you?" The human looked down at the vampire, when he received nothing but the echo of his voice as an answer. He pouted slightly and shook his head. 'He's sealed, duh,' He thought before looking down at his hands, twiddling his thumbs."Never mind that question. I forgot you can't answer, s-sorry," Odd how he felt the need to verbalize his mistake and apologize to a living corpse. Yugi was seriously pondering the thought that he may be going insane, or the alcohol in his system was causing him to act so weird.

"Pegasus, the Current Director of the I.V.H.A. branch here in domino gave me a new mission today," He muttered quietly, suddenly feeling fear start to prickle in his core. "I… I'm not quite sure what do for it, to be honest. Nor, am I mentally ready for it. Ho-How can I be? I'm throwing away everything for this. If I…if I go through with this, I can't join as an official member of the Association. And If Itry to change my mission he'll," Yugi paused and took a deep breath, not finishing that sentence.

"He wants me to become the Feeder of Yami Sennen. But how the hell do I do that? Why the hell would I even want to do that?!" Yugi's hands curled into fist as he thought about becoming a personal juice box for the pure blood vampire. He bit his bottom lip hard from anxiety. "I've come close to dying a handful of times since I decided to take my grandfather's place in the Association nearly two years ago. Each mission I had been assigned up to now, I was able to keep a positive outlook that I'll come back alive and hell, I even loved the thrill of being in the jaws of something dangerous. But now…I can only see my death at the end of this mission."

His eyes started to sting with the threat of unfallen tears, but Yugi quickly wiped them away and blinked his eyes rapidly to keep them from falling. "This…I think I'm actually scared," The human let out a forced laugh and looked over his shoulder and down at the sealed vampire. His left hand reached out and grabbed the vampire's cool one. He knew this wasn't something he shouldn't have been doing, holding the hand of a sealed vampire's corpse, but Yugi needed the comfort for the moment.

"I bet you were scared when that dagger was plunged into your chest. I wouldn't be surprise if you were scared right now. I know I would be," Yugi felt himself smiling fondly at the vampire laying in the golden coffin. "Being alone for so many years, starving and having no one's comfort until now, when this strange human boy comes out of nowhere. Then he just starts dumping all of his problems on you…" Yugi trailed off before starting to laugh softly at himself. "Scary and annoying, I guess that's how I would explain it, " He explained to the vast emptiness of the small tomb.

"But enough of that mess," Yugi gave a finally squeeze to the vampire's hand, before pulling his own hand away. "You're starving and I've kept you from your food long enough."

Leaning down, without standing from his perch on the marble pedestal, Yugi manage to grab his backpack by one of its straps and pull it up into his lap.

The human unzipped his backpack and began to dig around inside the bag until he found the pint sized bag of warm blood. He smiled happily when he felt the squishy warm package in his hand and quickly removed it from his bag.

"Here it is, some nice-" Yugi paused his speech and squinted his eyes as he read the official labeling of the blood bank on the bag of blood. "-'O' negative blood. Heh, now that's ironic," He muttered the last bit to himself. Just earlier that day he had told the current leader of the vampire race to go drink the same exact blood type.

Shaking his head and suppressing a round of laughter, Yugi looked down at the sealed vampire. All humor was drained from his body when he realized the problem he was faced with. How was he supposed to feed the vampire who was trapped in a stasis?

Yugi placed the bag of blood in his lap and held his head in his hands as he thought, making a humming sound in the processes.

It had been brief but, Yugi's mind thought of using the 'baby-bird' method. By the time he full processed the thought, Yugi was cringing and his stomach was doing tiny flips. He was definitely not going to put someone else's blood in his mouth and the transfer it into the mouth of a vampire who probably hasn't had his teeth brushed in hundreds of years. There wasn't anything or anyone in the entire universe that could make him do something so repulsing.

'There's got to be another way,' Yugi thought to himself, recovering from his first idea.

After a few minutes of think to himself, Yugi finally settled on a suitable way to feed the sealed vampire. The human placed the blood bag on the vampire's right thigh before he slipped off the pedestal and stood on his feet near the tan male's upper torso. "Okay Pharaoh, –I hope that's okay for me to call you that- I'm going to sit your body up and have you lean against me."

With his verbal warning given, Yugi leaned over the coffin and forced his right hand to go under the vampire's upper back, while his left hand grabbed the vampire's left shoulder. Slowly, Yugi pushed the vampire's back up and pulled on his shoulder to make it easier to lift the man up into a sitting position. The process was painfully slow. With every inch Yugi moved the vampire upwards, the human could hear the faint sound of joints popping in resistance. Yugi feared he was causing the vampire pain from moving him after possibly having gone centuries without movement. Once 'Pharaoh' was in a sitting position, Yugi removed his hands from the vampire so he could climb behind the man. Though his plan met a flaw when Pharaoh's upper body started to lean back threatening fall back. Yugi scrambled quickly into an awkward position on his knees in the golden coffin, just in time too as the vampire's body fell backwards into his chest.

The human let out an "Umph!" as he caught Pharaoh with his chest and steadied the vampire by grasping his shoulders lightly. "Well, it went better than I thought," Yugi verbalized as he shifted Pharaoh's body slightly to his right so the vampire's head was leaned back onto his shoulder.

Hesitantly Yugi's hands roses so his fingers rested on the vampire's lower jaw. Very slowly, Yugi began to massage the flesh there. He worked his way up the man's face then moved his way down to his upper neck. He could feel the tense muscles slowly relax through his gentle touches, just as he hoped.

Once Yugi was satisfied with how relaxed the muscles felt underneath his fingers, the human returned his left hand to Pharaoh's jaw, while his right held the vampire's head still. "If this is painful, I'm sorry. It's worth it, just keep that in mind."

With extreme caution and care, Yugi lowly started to force the vampire's mouth open by pulling his mandible down with his left hand. The still stiff muscles made it impossible for Yugi to get the sealed vampire's mouth to open fully, though he was able to get his milk chocolate lips to part enough where Yugi could wiggle the blood bag's connection tub to his mouth.

Yugi smile proudly at his work and patted the dirty but soft tri-colored hair the vampire possessed. "All done," He could like the vampire was some small child getting a bandage on a small scrape. He tilted the vampire's head back, causing the human to instantly regret the action.

Yugi started gagging from the horrible smell of 'morning breath' this vampire possessed. It was twice as worse as the smell of rotting animal in the corridor between this chamber and the other one it was concealed by. The human's eyes were watering from the sheer intensity of the smell of Pharaoh's mouth. Yugi turned his head away from the vampire to try and fill his nose with clean unscented air. Finding it to be useless, the human resulted to breathing in and out of his mouth. Yugi swore on his heart, that he would die if were to smell that god-awful breath again.

Grabbing the bag of 'O' negative blood from Pharaoh's lap, Yugi carefully twisted the clear cap off of the bag. He squeezed the bag lightly, to make sure the blood flowed freely out of the connection tube. Finding no problems with the flow from the bag to the outside world, Yugi gentle placed the tube into the vampire's mouth and started to squeeze the blood into his mouth slowly.

The human's face was one of disgust, a combination from feeding the vampire blood and from the man's horrible breath. While he let the blood fill Pharaoh's mouth, Yugi thought about the strongest type of toothpaste brand there was. If Yugi was going to feed this vampire blood again, then he was going to make sure the vampire had minty fresh breath. Not one that smelt like a pig's butt that got sprayed by a skunk. Yugi would let the man die where he was if he had to smell that bad breath everyday.

Yugi look down at Pharaoh and spotted a small trickle of dark maroon coming from the vampire's parted lips. Removing the blood bag's connection tub from the sealed vampire's mouth, Yugi recapped it. Blinking, Yugi looked at the bag with interested eyes seeing it only halfway full. He put the blood bag aside smiling at the new information he had gathered. 'One mouthful equals half a pint. Interesting.'

The human used his thumb to wipe away the blood falling down Pharaoh's chin before gently closing the vampire's mouth and holding it close. Slowly, Yugi sat the vampire straight up and tilted his head back at an angle. He rubbed the Vampire's throat softly helping the blood to slide smoothly down the humanoid creature's throat. Yugi leaned the vampire back against his body after having him sit straight up for two minutes. Not even five minutes afterward Yugi could feel Pharaoh slowly warming up.

At first, he thought it was his own body heat warming the vampire up, however, even when he removed himself from the coffin and laid the vampire back down; Pharaoh's body warmth continued to grow warmer and the ashen appearance in his toes and fingers started to dull slightly. Yugi's eyes glanced at the sealed vampire's face and found it to look even more peaceful than before. Excitement caused Yugi's eyes to light up and a bright grin from ear to ear to appear on his face.

"Take that Grandpa! He's not dead, this guy is just hungry," Yugi said aloud rather loudly with pride for his good deed in help the vampire out. After placing the blood bag back in his black backpack, Yugi reclaimed his perch on the marble pedestal. He outstretched his hand towards the vampire's head and started to comb through his fingers through the man's dirty hair, frowning. "Guess it's been awhile since you've bathed properly..." Yugi idly stated as he leaned his upper torso against the outer stone coffin. His eyes drifted closed as he continued to stroke the vampire's hair.

"I'll give you a bath, or at least wash your hair sometime…when you're…stronger…" The human's voice trailed off as his mind started to become haze from sleep. Eventually, Yugi had fallen asleep leaning against Pharaoh's coffin, dreaming about buying the vampire a toothbrush to cure nasty breath.

* * *

**An: **Yeah, Yeah. I'm a bit late. Sorry ^^;  
I literally fell asleep when I was about to upload this last night, and I've hadn't had the time to upload it until now.  
Anyways, Thank you again for your support. I really do appreciate it!  
I'll edit this later for mistakes!

This chapter is 12,138 words long, and a bit slow in some I'm gonna make it up to you guys in the next chapter.  
Chapter three is when the real stuff happens, and there is major fluff with Atem and Yugi next chapter!  
It's one of my favorite moments so far out of the four chapter's I've written up. =w=

Please review!

_**Edited on :: 10/2/16**_


	3. Night III: GAME OVER

**AN; **Thank you for the support, reviews, favorites and follows!

* * *

**Night Three:  
_GAME OVER_**

* * *

Six weeks had passed by quickly since Halloween night, and Yugi haddn't found another place that could give him the same sense of comfort by being at his nameless friend's side. When he first noticed the way he felt around the sealed vampire, it had left his mind in a daze for several weeks. It left him confused. He never felt comfortable around a vampire unless, it was Jonouchi. Marik and Bakura were nice when they wanted to be, but the two shared this certain sadistic look that had Yugi always on edge. There was also Seto Kaiba, who frankly, just intimidated Yugi with just his very breath. The human knew even if he wasn't a vampire, he would feel just the same. And then there was Yami Sennen...**  
**

Yugi hated being in the same room with the vampire leader. It wasn't Yami personally, though the cold attitude the vampire had when every he spoke with humans didn't help make Yugi like him very much, but it was the essence of what Yami was that kept Yugi's body on high alert. Yami was leader of the vampire race, a pureblood vampire with the fate of being the next Original. An Original vampire is a vampire that hales from the first bloodline of vampire kind. The blood only exists in vampires that are heirs to the first vampire, and are the strongest of the race. Blood that could possibly be flowing through Yami Sennen's very body. That is why Yugi does not like the male. Yami could most likely be the deadliest creature in the world.

It wasn't until last week, that Yugi had come to the conclusion why he could feel so…so comfortable around this person, whom he had no clue about other than what the wall paints depicted. Yugi found relief being around him. It was his escape from the stress in his life. He didn't have to hide his double life around this vampire. He didn't have worry about losing his trust if he spoke about his experience with the I.V.H.A. No matter what happened to him, he could always vent to the sealed vampire as an outlet. He didn't have to worry about the consequences of his actions for once in his life. Nor did he have worry about the vampire going on some rampage just because of him.

The human didn't have anything against his actual friends who were there for him twenty-four hours of everyday, but he couldn't just bother them with his personal problems. He's known Jonouchi since he was in his first year of grade school, and if the said vampire caught whiff of Yugi being distressed, the blonde haired male would surely go berserk until he caught the culprit. Something Yugi couldn't afford at the moment. He needed to be able to walk the city streets alone so he could provide care for the sealed vampire and, despite how much he loathed it, focus on his mission objective from the I.V.H.A. Even if it meant he had tolerating the fools who, for the past five weeks, have been brutally taunting him for just a bit longer.

He would have told Ryou, but Ryou would end up having to spill out that secret to Bakura who, in return, would flap his big mouth about Yugi being bullied. That's how Malik found out about his Christmas present early last year, because Malik had been told by Marik, who had heard the information from Bakura. Yugi trusted his friends, however, their lovers were a completely different story.

That's why he was grateful for something that confused and scared him. Pharaoh, the sealed vampire, was like a gift for him to treasure. The only thing he could do back as payment for offering a little escape goat from the stresses of his life, was to help this vampire revive. It had been Yugi's driving force for the past five weeks.

Relief swelled in Yugi's aching muscles as he dropped the heavily pack plastic grocery bags down on the ground, next to the marble pedestal holding up the stone sarcophagus. An audible sigh left the human's lips as he dropped his black backpack to join the plastic shopping bags. His navy blue school blazer was soon to follow as the young man took a seat on the ground.

"Finally, I can relax."

Yugi leaned his back against the marble pedestal that supported the limestone sarcophagus and closed his eyes. The human allowed himself to relax and release some of his pent up frustrations from his school day It was a small reward for himself, for avoiding Tetsu Ushio and his small group of vampire fiends. Something Yugi considered to be a miracle. Maybe someone from the afterlife was looking after him, or lady luck had decided to grace him with her presence for the afternoon. Either way, Yugi was grateful. It was less bruises he had to hide and more time for the ones that littered his arms and torso already, to heal.

After his short five-minute break, Yugi stood up and dusted off the navy blue dress pants of his school uniform. He looked down at the stone coffin and grimaced. Opening up the pharaoh's coffin was going to be a pain today, literally. As the human pressed his palms to the cool stone and eased it off the coffin and carefully propped it up against the wall, his biceps screamed in protest with a burning pain. It took him a good ten minutes to just remove the lid of coffin and to lean it against the limestone wall that was behind the sarcophagus.

Yugi paused to give his arms a rest as he gazed down at the golden Egyptian coffin with no face. "I swear, when you finally wake up, you're going to have to repay me big time," Yugi calmly stated and patted the flat face of the golden sarcophagus. "I can promise you that, Pharaoh."

The trainee drew in a deep breath through his nose before he started to open up the second coffin, repeating the same process as he did with first one.

After what felt like a painful eternity, Yugi somehow managed to prop up the golden casket top. The fact he managed to get the heavier top to lean against the wall was unexplainable, especial since he, a tired and damaged human, did it by this vampire had a special effect on him?

He was exhausted, but the sight of the vampire he had been feeding and taking care of everyday for past six weeks, had convinced his mind otherwise. Yugi's eyes lit up brightly and his lips turned into his signature warm grin as he gazed down at the sealed vampire. The difference between the first time he had feed the unknown male and now was like night and day. There was no gray present on the vampire's body. His skin had gained most of its beautiful bronze coloration back and his hair was softer and brighter. The vampire seemed to be more 'alive' than he did dead. For that, Yugi felt proud of himself.

"I see you're doing well today, Pharaoh. " Yugi greeted the vampire taking a seat on the edge of the marble pedestal. Talking to vampire no longer bothered Yugi, now that he knew more about the sealed state of the vampire.

The human had broken his 'no contact' condition of his current mission, to do a little research about sealed vampires. Despite his normal honest self, Yugi had lied and asked to use the I.V.H.A. database for a school research project. Yugi was lucky that Pegasus had bought his little white lie. He was granted full access to Domino's IVHA research data base for said 'research'. It was there, Yugi learned that the vampire in his care was very much alert and conscious, while being in a stasis.

According to several scientific conclusions from different scientists worldwide, all vampires were conscious during stasis. Their minds were still active, while their bodies were shut down and immobilized. In a majority of the year long experiments, the vampires went mad from lack of socialization and had to be dealt with by execution. Yugi wasn't about to let six weeks of work go to vain, just because he neglected talking to a person trapped inside their own body. If he had to just talk to himself to prevent a blood lusting monster from going crazy, then so be it. It was better than having the man before him suffer, along with many others when he would be released.

The human placed his hand palm on the vampire's forehead and his smile grew even bigger. The pharaoh was warmer today, almost as warm as Yugi's own body heat. Withdrawing his hand, Yugi made sound of approval and patted the vampire's shoulder lightly. His violet eyes did a sweep of the sealed vampire's body, noting that everything had improved. At this rate, Yugi was sure that the vampire would be able to wake up in time for the New Year.

"It looks like we both accomplished things today, "Yugi stated sounding cheerful as he looked down at his feet that barely touched the ground from his perch. "You no longer look like a dead man, and I avoided being a dead man," He said jokingly.

The teen glanced down at the shopping bags that nearly cost him and arm and a leg to bring to the chamber the sealed vampire inhabited. "I brought the supplies to give you a bath. You desperately need one. I cured the bad breath by brushing your teeth and rinsing your mouth out, now it's the body odor's turn. Also-" Yugi leaned over the vampire's head and brushed a small cobweb from the male's golden bangs of hair. "-You're collecting cobwebs in your bangs."

Figuring he had said enough on the subject, Yugi stood up from his seat before going to the plastic bags that contained the items he would need for a task. Just as he bent down though, Yugi froze when he spotted the slow rising of the vampire's chest and the fall that followed, just as slow. The human's heart beat echo in his ear, as he straightened up and gazed at the vampire in shock.

"Did…Did he just take a breath?" Yugi spoke his thought aloud. The seventeen year-old watched the vampire for several minutes in silence, before shaking his head and concluding that he had possibly just imagined the entire thing. But the human's eyes didn't leave male's torso, instead they focused more on the dark brown, nearly black, blood stain around the dagger imbibed in his chest. Not only was this poor male dirty, but he was also in need a change of clothes. Something Yugi didn't bring nor had he thought of.

The human frowned in disappointment. He wasn't going to wash a possible pharaoh, then place him back in old soiled clothing that could pass for rags. He could just leave him bare but Yugi knew for a fact it wouldn't do any good for either of them. Despite having no care if another was bare or not around him, Yugi didn't not want to be flashed every time he opened up Pharaoh's coffins. He also figured the other male would like something to keep him warm and hide his nakedness from others, Yugi knew if their roles were reversed, he'd hope for the same.

Thinking about where he could find a pair of clothes, Yugi's mind remembered the chamber filled with odd items, and the human felt the urge to search for something the vampire could wear there. He wasn't sure why he felt the need to search the room full of priceless artifacts, but figured since he had nothing else to try, he would go hunting for clothes in the clutter of the large chamber that concealed the one he was in now.

"I'm going in the other room to look for something for you to wear. I'll be back," Yugi informed the vampire while his right hand went to grab his concealing stone that hung loosely around his neck. Giving the Vampire one last look, Yugi quickly left the male to venture into the room holding the variety of items from different time periods.

* * *

Yugi's search for clothing was taking him much longer than he originally thought. Mostly because his mind became sidetracked with each new item he picked up. He just couldn't keep from examining the unknown items from eras way before the current present time. It was only after he had combed through nearly half of the items piled in the room, did Yugi finally find some clothing that thought were suitable for his nameless 'friend'. The human had gathered a cream-colored linen shenti, a deep red sash along with a golden belt to hold it in place, a matching red cloak and a brightly decorated matching wesekh collar to hold it in place. The human also located a simply made loincloth before he concluded his search for clothes.

Happy with the items he had found for the vampire, Yugi returned to the room that resembled an Egyptian King's inner tomb chamber. The human was quick to reopen his passage way to the sealed chamber, enter it, then close it right afterwards. Yugi no longer had to hold his breath as he travel in between rooms, the trainee had taken care of that little problem last week by disposing of the rotting flesh.

When his violet eyes landed on the unconscious form of the vampire, Yugi pressed his lips together in a thin line. His mind suddenly starting to regret not finding something to cover the man's torso, however, it was pushed to the back of his mind he reassured himself it would be easier to dress him since there was an ancient knife stuck in the fool's chest.

Placing the clothing items gently on top of his schoolbag and out of the way, Yugi pushed up the sleeves of his white button-up dress shirt. The human was already squatted down low to the ground, pulling the jugs of warm water out from plastic bags, followed by soft hand towels.

"I found you some clothes," Yugi said sounding dull as he pulled out a small pail that children use to play with in sand. "I didn't find anything for you to wear on your chest, mainly because I wasn't sure how I would even dress you with it. I'm sorry," The young teen spoke with sympathy as he filled the small pail with warm water, before searching his bags for the travel sized bathing kit he bought.

Smiling with victory once he found the three bottles wrapped in plastic, Yugi couldn't help but laugh lightly at the scent of the body wash, shampoo, and conditioner. All three were a sweet Shea butter and almond scent for ladies. When he had first bought it after school, he felt terrible because it was the only body washing travel sized kit available at the convenient store he went to. Though now he found it humorous to be using such 'girly' smelling soap on the masculine man. He just hoped the vampire wouldn't mind it too much.

After squirting a reasonable amount of body wash into the pail of water, Yugi mixed it with his hand and moved it to the side so it wouldn't get spilled as he undressed the immobilized vampire. A task Yugi knew was going to take a bit of maneuvering on his part  
.

"I'm going to start taking off your clothes now…I'll be careful," Yugi spoke gently to the vampire, running a soothing hand through the male's dirty hair. He could only imagine the things running through the mind of the vampire he was doing his best to help. The vampire must be cursing at him mentally with hate and anger, or appreciating his help. With steady hands, Yugi started to unclasp the golden bands on the arms, neck and legs of the sealed vampire. With the old metal off of the vampire's skin, Yugi's hands went to remove the two golden belts that were secured on the vampire's hips. They felt around the smooth surface of the elegant pieces jewelry, before find the ridges that indicated their end and beginning. He unfastened the belts with care, being careful not to damage them as he placed it on the floor to join the other golden items. All that left Yugi with, was getting the knee-length sleeveless tunic off of the vampire's body without doing any harm to the area around the dagger.

Thinking of the quickest way to remove the clothing from the vampire, Yugi started to pull at the seams of the tunic gently, ripping the old linen with ease. Little by little the linen gave way, and eventually Yugi had tore the tunic down the side from its neck line to the bottom. Slowly, the human started to pull the tunic off of the front side of the sealed vampire's body. He gently eased the dagger's hilt through the hole it had created in the linen before slipping it all the way off.

Violet iris were locked on Pharaoh's chest as Yugi's brain slowly registered what it was seeing.

Painful. That was the only word Yugi's mind could think of as he gazed at the effects of the dagger. Veins were bulging underneath the beautiful tan skin Yugi admired, throbbing with an unnatural and erotic heartbeat. There was a nasty black discoloration of the veins that looked like a chaotic spider web over a large portion of the vampire's chest, however, that wasn't the worse part. No, the actual area the dagger had been thrust into was the most pitiful sight Yugi's eyes had picked up on. Blood that had poured from the wound had hardened around the dagger into a black crystal like form, keeping it in place and preventing it from being removed. The vampire's skin w was slowly rotting away from the dagger, leaving a gaping hole in his chest with the connective tissue and muscles visible and exposed. Unknowingly, Yugi reached his hand out to touch the crystallized blood, only to find it warm and wet. Not cold and dry, like he had predicted it to be.

The human felt the muscles around his stomach start contracting as his heart quickened its pace as he pulled his hand back and found bright crimson blood staining the tips of three of his five fingers. His eyes refused to look away from the blood on his fingers and his chest started to ache. This seal wasn't like the others Yugi had read about. No, this seal had the purpose for killing its victim slowly. Or at least that's what Yugi concluded by the way the vampire's body was reacting towards the magic that inflicted it. Not even the few seals he was taught to use in emergencies could do this much damage. In fact, Yugi didn't think any seals used by a human could cause this much damaged to a vampire. It had to be inflicted on this male by another one of his species, but why? What purpose had this man been place under such a cruel spell?

Yugi so badly wanted to release the vampire from his seal. Although his mind warned him against it, repeating over and over in his own head that the beast could still be craving blood. But how long would he have to wait? Would it be days, weeks, months or years before he could finally allow this person live his life again? Yugi looked down as he wiped the blood on his fingers off on his navy blue pants. His violet eyes spotted the small bucket full of warm soapy water and it instantly reminded him of the task he had been previously doing before…before… The human bit his lip and pushed the negative thought to the back of his mind. He was sure the vampire was bound to be cursing him out mentally. He hadn't said a word since removing his clothes, nor done anything since.

Yugi grabbed one of the soft wash towels and soaked it in the warm soap water before wringing it out. He stood up straight and avoid looking at the vampire's chest as he moved closer to the male's face. He gently started to wash the vampire's face with light gentle scrubs. "Sorry… I… I got startled by the dagger in your chest. Whom ever did that to you…I hope they received the justice for harming someone so cruelly."

Yugi's voice was barely a whisper, thought he knew the vampire could still hear his words. He continued to wash the vampire's face with the soapy water till he deemed it clean. He placed the small towel into the pail of soapy water before grasping a new one and one of the two-liter jugs of warm water. Carefully, Yugi doused the towel with the water, before setting the jug back on the ground and went back to scrubbing the sealed vampire's face free from both soap suds and dirt. It amazed Yugi how much the vampire's skin seemed to glow in the dim light after it had been cleansed. It made him wonder briefly if it made the vampire feel as refreshed as he look.

Yugi smiled as he placed the wet washcloth on the side of the golden sarcophagus before squatting down to grab a third towel. Once in hand, Yugi stood up and started to gently pat the vampire's face dry so he wouldn't catch a cold, odd as that might be, Yugi was concerned the other could still get sick despite being trapped under a seal.

The human wasted no time and quickly started to repeat the process of his sponge bath method to Pharaoh's neck, shoulders and arms. He worked the stiff muscles as he scrubbed the vampire's beautiful copper skin clean. His scrubbing became gentler as he reach the vampire's torso, he washed the delicate skin on the sealed vampire's chest in a slow swirling motion. He avoided the swollen black veins and the left side of the vampire's chest altogether, just skipping to the male's toned stomach where Yugi was greeted by well-defined abdominal muscles.

When the time came for Yugi wash the unknown male's genitals, the human had a hard time keeping his face from turning red. Several times he had to remind himself that this was not the first time was had washed another man's private regions. Yugi had washed his grandfather twice like this, two years ago when the old man had his hip replacement surgery. The memory made the young male shiver to his core as did his best not to cause any unwanted 'problems'. As soon as he had finished washing the vampire's genitals, Yugi quickly placed his wash towels down and cover dressed the man in the loincloth he had found. Lucky for Yugi, it wasn't too hard to tie the simple piece of cloth. Though if he tied it right or not, was completely oblivious to the human. He just wanted it to cover up the other male's penis, instead of having it out in the open.

Yugi quickly finished washing the rest of the vampire's body, excluding his untamed hair. The human reclaimed his seat on the marble pedestal holding up both sarcophagus and released an exhausted sigh. He used his arms to hold himself ups, before glancing at the pharaoh like vampire and tilted his back slightly for a better viewing angle of the 'sleeping' man's facial features. The way Pharaoh looked now, was like he could open his concealed eyes at any moment. Yugi so desperately wanted that. He wanted to learn what the man looked like with open eyes. He also wanted to know the vampire's name, that why he could stop referring him as 'the vampire' and 'Pharaoh'. It made Yugi feel like he was downgrading the person he was caring for, to a rouge's level. Something he knew was an insult to vampires of all classes.

Yugi squeezed the hand of the vampire he was gazing down at, before he stood back on his feet to start washing the dirty hair of the vampire.

The human hoped that this man wasn't a rogue, or his life was going to ending far too short.

* * *

Yugi was grateful for the fact he had packed a hoodie into his backpack this morning before school. Washing the seal vampire's hair had proven to be more difficult than he had predicted and the human had mostly gotten the water on himself, rather than on the vampire's wild spikes that were strangely similar to his own. He had succeed in getting it clean, but it had cost him his dry white dress shirt that was a part of his school uniform. But that small sacrifice was for the greater good of the male he was helping. And despite the trouble he went through just to get the vampire's wild hair clean, it had been a fun experience with a beautiful reward.

Yugi tugged on the end of his teal colored hoodie, trying to block out some of the Mid-December chill starting freeze his wet shirt underneath it, as he walked home. The streets of the west side of Domino were deserted. In a strange way, it made Yugi feel relaxed, but it also caused him to pay more attention to his surroundings. It was too quiet in this part of Domino, normally the residences of the area were still driving or walking home from their jobs, but there wasn't a sign of life around. Even the shops and houses had a look of abandonment to them.

A violent buzz from his pants pocket made Yugi pause his stride. The human blinked curiously as he looked down at the pocket his cellphone was resting in, as his left hand went to retrieve it.

With his phone in hand, Yugi's large violet eyes looked at the urgent message on the screen on his phone from the IVHA, reading:

'Code RV6-47A05 has been issued. All members and apprentices report to your designated areas.'

Yugi's body tensed slightly. He understood the exact meaning of the code issued out by the Association, something most humans did not. It was the symbols for a warning about a group of newborn rogue vampires had manage to enter the city, or that had been born within the city. It explained why everything looked deserted on this side of town, people were hiding. Everyone, but him. The message must have been released through a broadcasting network while he was leaving the sealed vampire's chambers.

The vampire hunter apprentice cursed under his breath and shoved his phone in his pocket. His hands grabbed the straps of his backpack tightly and he started a brisk pace home. He briefly wondered just how rogues had managed to get into the city. The Vampire Kingdom had a firm grasp on the city borders! Cursing under his breath, Yugi cleared his mind of any distractions and focused on what he needed to do.

'Get home. Get Grandpa into a safe place. Walk, don't run. Don't gain yourself any unwanted attention.'

Yugi stayed out of the light, and tried not to stir his scent too much in the air. He could have used his concealing stone to hide his scent concealed, were it not being used to mask the scent of blood on his ruined school blazer. Thanks to his own clumsiness, Yugi had spilt the leftover blood from the sealed vampire's feeding, which he had bumped up to a pint and half from the pint he had been feeding the vampire for the past three weeks, all over his navy blue school blazer. It was going to be one heck of a conversation he was going to have with his grandpa when it got washed, but that was the furthest thing on Yugi's mind right now. He was focused on getting home safe and getting out of danger.

The human's breath was caught in his throat when he heard the faint sounds of footfalls behind him. Biting his bottom lip, Yugi forced his heart to keep its calm beating. Although it was failing miserably, when another distinct set of footsteps joined the ones already behind him.

The seventeen year old kept his gaze forward, head up confidently as he quickened his pace. His ears were focused in on the footfalls trailing him, trying to decipher if they belonged to a human or one of the deadly creatures of the night. He couldn't tell though, the strangers trailing him were making it hard for him to tell from just footsteps alone. Some were heavy, while others were faint as the wind's whisper. It caused Yugi to curse in his head as he turned left and started traveling down a road he hoped was more populated than this one.

His hopes had died just as quickly as they had appeared, when Yugi found this street too, was empty from any pedestrians. The teen with gravity defying hair walked normal as if nothing was wrong, although his heart was racing with panic. Worried thoughts made his mind unclear for any rational idea to be conjured, as paranoid scenarios started to clutter it. He held on tightly to the teachings of the International Vampire Hunter Association had implanted into his head, along with the few tricks his grandpa had taught him. Hoping, praying, it would be enough to defend himself and let him live another day.

Yugi remembered both of them telling him to never run when being tracked by a vampire, it would only provoke their chase even more. Yet, with the current situation he was in, the bigger half of his mind was screaming for him to run as if the Devil himself were chasing him.

'Screw it! I'm running!' Yugi thought after he turned right at the next street intersection.

The moment he was on his new path, Yugi's legs surged him forward. The muscles of his lower body were warmed up quickly with each of his panicked footfalls. Lactic acid created a mild burning in his calves and thighs, but it was nothing compared to the beats he had endured with Ushio and his two thug like friends. His chest burned from his lungs being forced to take in the harsh cold air of the outside world. His own harsh footfalls against the pavement of the side-walk, was all Yugi could hear. It created a false hope that he was outrunning his stalkers. It even made the young male turn his head over his shoulder to see if had lost them. The distraction caused the human's lithe body to smack into an object that was hard as a stone wall.

The force of Yugi's impact, caused the human to tumble to the sidewalk with a painful groan when the new aches and pains erupted in his body. When Yugi manage to sit up and open his violet eyes to gaze at what his body hit, Hell froze over the teen's world.

Tetsu Ushio, in all of his chaotic glory, was hovering over Yugi. As if he didn't already look like junior-high student, Ushio with his oversized build made Yugi look like a primary school student. With hair black as coal, skin like pale cement, and eyes bright red like the fires in Hell; Ushio was a man who struck fear into the hearts of his normal victims before evening uttering word. His method of drinking from humans was weeks of constant mental and physical abuse until they broke and gave in to him. It had worked every single time he had applied the method beside with just one human. Word had got out that Ushio was losing his touch because of the one little human who was able to tolerate his abuse, had yet to cave in after the normal two-week period. Instead Yugi had made him drag out this game of his for a painful five weeks, and still the human had refused to give in. It sicken Ushio that a human was beating him at his own game, and Yugi was aware of that.

Instead of making a rush to get up or try to run again, Yugi simply smiled up at Ushio with the grin he used every day to greet his friends and classmates. "Hello Ushio, how are you this evening?" The human tried his best to act casual as he tilted his head slightly back to get a better view of the vampire's face. He immediately wish he hadn't when he got a good look of Ushio's eyes.

The whites of his eyes were fading into black, they had already achieved a dark gray look to them. His irises were glowing a blood-red in the dim light of the night. It was a dead giveaway of the signs of a vampire turning into a rouge. Those deadly eyes made Yugi briefly think of the vampire he was caring for. What if Pharaoh's eyes were like Ushio's? Dead and beautiful at the same time? The eyes of a true killer.

"Oh I'm well, Yugi. In fact, I was just making my way to the game shop your grandfather owns to see if you wanted to 'play' tonight. But, it looks like you came to me instead. Isn't that nice of you?" The vampire spoke with a sinister smile as he gazed down at Yugi, licking his lips.

Yugi gave a nod of his head as he pushed himself up off of the sidewalk, ignoring the protest in some of the muscles in his legs. "Well, I wouldn't say came to meet you…" Yugi began, while he put distance in between him and Ushio, backing away cautiously. "I was on my way home from the arcade and just happen to run into you."

The human's violet eyes glanced past Ushio noticing the black and red eyes of the monster's goons. No wonder the attacks on his personal being began to become later and later in the day. All three of them were not far off from becoming rouges. "I wouldn't mind it if you just let me not 'play' today. I have a lot of homework that needs to be done."

Yugi started to backing up farther and farther away from Ushio. When he deemed it a safe distance, he pivoted on his heel and prepared himself to sprint away from his bully, however, Yugi was deprived that chance when the other two rogue vampire who accompanied Ushio, where in front of him in a blink of an eye. The human quickly back away from the two, putting an even amount of space between him, Ushio, and the other two vampires. He was trapped.

Ushio's dark laughter made Yugi's heart skip several beats from fear. He held onto the straps of his backpack even tighter, debating on what to do while his eyes flicker back and forth between his captors. Though he wasn't given much time with Ushio's annoying voice broke his concentration.

"Are you scared? Are you? You should be, you pathetic little brat! Tonight is the night your cute little baby face will be erased from this world! By the time I'm finished with tonight's 'game', everything will have ended for you!"

Yugi clenched his jaw and grounded his teeth together as he fought off the fear Ushio was trying to implant in his mind with compulsion.

Yugi thought of every possibility he could, but nothing could prove to be good enough for an attempt of an escape that would succeed against three mad vampires. The human could feel his mental strength giving way to Ushio's fear and that scared him even more than the fear Ushio was trying to compel him feel. The human's breathing started to become distressed as he realized that this could be his last moments alive. Though he reminded himself that he couldn't die like this, he still had a mission to complete. If he did die, it would be at the hands of Yami Sennen or a member of IVHA. He would not die here. Yugi refused to!

The human did his best to get his fear under control again. He thought back to the calm feeling that he felt with the sealed vampire and the warm feeling his friends gave him in times of need, keeping it in his mind as he shrugged his backpack off his shoulders and placed it on the ground.

"I'm scared, but not because of you," Yugi calmly stated allowing his fear to be ebb away as he spoke. "I'm more afraid of what my friends will think, if I was found on the streets looking like roadkill." He gave Ushio a falsified confident grin, "I know scarier vampires than you, Ushio. I'm intimidated by you, yes. But scared? Ha! Every day I talk to vampires that a hundred times more terrifying than you!" Yugi said confidently, standing feet shoulder width apart and his arms folded over his chest as he glared at his bully. "In school, I sit next the leader of your race. You know that right? You're nothing compared to him."

"Those puny nobles and purebloods are nothing but fools! None of them are stronger than myself!" Ushio commented arrogantly as started to crack his knuckles. "Yami is only the leader because he was a good fuck for the previous pharaoh, who died by a human's hands, ha! The very creatures he wanted to 'coexist' with, got him killed. All because he found one that was a looker and could ride dick well. He just couldn't resist trying to appease you lowlifes. If I was leader, I would enslave every last human and drink the blood of humans every day without showing them mercy."

Yugi shook his head at Ushio's words. It was true Yami had been the previous king of the vampires' lover, but Yugi highly doubted that the man had died by a human's hands, the man had gone missing per say the high school's history textbooks. Only Yami and the royal court knew what truly happened to the previous leader of the vampire race. "Ushio, that way of thinking will just get yourself killed! You're already on the verge of becoming a rogue vampire, stop before it's too late for you!"

Pain erupted in Yugi's core as a punch with the force of a freight train, crashed into his stomach. The pain caused Yugi's knees to buckle and force him to kneel on the ground as his arms cradled his lower torso. Coughs echoed in the silent night over load laughter from the rogue vampires, causing Yugi to swear violently under his breath.

The human glared at his attackers, before trying to stand on his feet, however,he was forced back to the ground when a sidekick to his kidney area, made his body and the ground eager to get to know each other better. A cry of pain came from the human along with more coughs as he laid on the ground, though Yugi refused to just lay still on the ground. He wanted to stand up for himself, and fight back. Although he loathe violence and was not much of a fighter, Yugi figured it would be better to defend himself, rather than let these monster stomp on him like he was a bug beneath their shoe. They weren't living beings with a sense of morality. Ushio and his friends were beyond saving now.

When he was on the balls of his feet, Yugi spotted a kick from one of Ushio's fiends aiming for his stomach. The human ducked low and used his right leg to sweep his attacker's own leg. Yugi was rewarded with a harsh thud as the vampire fell to the ground hard. There was no time for Yugi to celebrate, however, as the other rogue with Ushio tried to rush him with a right hook to the head. It was too easy for Yugi for block with his left arm and jab his knee into the vampire's growing. It was a dirty tactic, hitting a man in his 'baby maker', but everything was fair game when it was a life or death situation.

With the two men down for the count, Yugi had planned on running for it until he found himself in an unbreakable hold just moments later. His arms were pinned to his back by someone's death grip, while a large calloused hand was pressed against his neck firmly.

Hot breath ghosted past Yugi's ear as a set of dried cracked lips pressed against the shell of one of his sensory organs. "Game over, brat."

* * *

His body was a bloody, swollen, and bruised mess from the nonstop beating the rogue vampires were giving him as Ushio held him still. Everything hurt, everything throbbed and nothing was left free from pain. Even so, Yugi refused to give up. The human was determined to live, determined to outlast the vampire that were tormenting him. He never stopped struggling to get free from his captor.

When the barrage of punches and kicks had finally stopped, Yugi was relieved when Ushio's grip had loosened. It gave him a chance to escape from the monstrous creatures.

Waiting only a brief minute after the beating had stopped, Yugi mustered all the strength he could to elbow Ushio hard in the stomach. There was a loud grunt, followed by the hands on Yugi's arms and neck disappearing. With his body free from Ushio's grip, the human forced his legs to sprint away from the scene as fast as they could carry him. but it was a wasted effort.

Yugi was only able to make it about three feet before Ushio's massive body tackled him to the ground. The human tried to avoid from his head hitting the ground though he only succeeded in doing to opposite. With a sickening smack, Yugi's head hit the sidewalk. Blood pooled on the bed of his tongue, while there was dull ringing sound in Yugi's ears. His vision was distorted as the world spun around him, the human tried to focus on the closest street light, hoping the world would stop rotating around him.

"You just bought yourself a one way ticket into hell, Yugi Mutou," Ushio spat out as his tongue slipped out of his mouth to lick the left side of Yugi's neck.

The moment Ushio's slimy muscle came in contact with his skin, Yugi lost it. His body began to quake, his confident and strong façade broke and Yugi's final pieces of hope began to crumple. This was it. He was going to die, despite having given his all to prevent such a thing happening. His strength had been extinguished and he couldn't out run his of frustration and fear threatened to fall from his eyes. He was going to lose this game, despite having won so many rounds before this last one.

Yugi's violet eyes caught sight of blurry dark figure several feet away from him and his attackers. As a last resort the seventeen year old began to squirm underneath Ushio's weight and screamed to gain the stranger's attention. "H-Help! Help me! Please, I'll do anything!"

"There's no one here that's gonna help you, pretty boy. Now just stay still and cry for you mother," The rogue vampire chuckled darkly against Yugi's neck and pressed his fangs against Yugi's skin, taunting the human for what was to come.

His heartbeat echoed loudly in his ear and Yugi couldn't help but try to move his neck away from Ushio's mouth and protect it from its pending doom. The human's eyes stung and his cheeks became damp, but he refused to let Ushio or his thugs see the tears that stained his face. He wouldn't let them see his weakness. He wouldn't let them think they won. Because Yugi wasn't going to give up, not until the very end.

"Please! Anyone, please help me!" He cried out once more, eyes focused on the dark silhouette in the distant.

Two screams was released in sync after Yugi's plea. The human had barely heard the sounds, before a warm liquid had splashed onto his cheek. Violet eyes grew wide with terror and he struggled even more against the vampire on top of his body. Yugi heard Ushio growl low in his chest, vibrating against the human's back and felt Ushio sit up, but the vampire still had him pinned down to the ground by his thighs. It gave Yugi false hope that the other was going to leave him alone.

"I'll come back to you shrimp, let me take care of this thorn in my side-" The rouge vampire's word became painful gurgles and moans that were meant to be words, words which Yugi now couldn't understand.

Yugi was confused by the painful groans coming from Ushio and jumbled up words, but his mind didn't dwell on it. With Ushio currently distracted, Yugi managed to pull his legs free from Ushio's hold with a few strong tugs. The moment his body was able to move again, Yugi struggled to his feet and quickly moved away from Ushio and towards his schoolbag. The human didn't look back as he struggled to get to the bag. Only when he had reached his bag, did Yugi dare to turn his head and look back at the vampire that was attempting to kill him.

The round violet eyes that were nearly swollen shut, widened when Yugi manage to recognize the person with their fingers buried deeply into both sides of Ushio's neck. It was blurry image, but Yugi knew the wild tri-colored spiky gravity defying hair and pale skin.

It was the pureblood vampire, Yami Sennen.

As if the other vampire didn't know Yugi was watching, which the human knew the other was aware of, the pureblood twisted Ushio's head pulled. Not a second later, Yami was rewarded with beheading the rogue vampire with the sickening sound of flesh tearing and bones crackling.

Death was something Yugi was used to hearing and thinking about. He had been told countless of times that his fellow trainees had passed away and others. He's attended funerals and even saw his share of dead bodies. But the young human had never witnessed a person dying. Especially not in the way Yami had just killed Ushio in. Tears cascaded down the human's cheeks and his hand quickly covered his mouth as he watch the traumatizing event.

Blood stained the street in a thick crimson pool that only grew as Ushio's body spewed blood from his neck as it fell over. Yami dropped Ushio's head, letting it fall to the ground and roll. Unable to look away, Yugi watch with horror as the disembodied head of his attack joined the grotesque sight of his comrades.

The two vampires that had been accompanying Ushio were no more. They weren't even whole anymore. Yami had dismembered them, spilling as much blood as possible. Blood was flowing into the nearest drainage hole in a metallic red river. Arms and legs had been tossed into the street, the heads of the vampires were at Yami's feet, while their torsos were bits of bone and flesh scattered across the sidewalk. Or at least, that's all Yugi could assume it was, he didn't want to think about what the pureblood had done with their internal organs. Slowly, the pool and river of blood expanded, touching the tips of Yugi's shoes.

Unable to handle what he was witnessing, Yugi dropped to his knees and bent over at the stomach as he vomited into his hands. Gastric acid, his lunch from school, and blood flowed from his mouth and hands down to the concrete ground. Yugi simple stared at the foul mixture, unable to look at anything. His teenaged mind was strong, but not strong enough to deal with sight of a bloodied battlefield. He couldn't focus. He couldn't think about anything about how Ushio's head been easily riped off his body like Yami had been uncapping a soda bottle.

It wasn't until the sight of black boots with faint traces of blood on them appeared in his vision, did Yugi look up. His terrified violet hues met sadistic crimson irises that sent Yugi's heart into a frenzy. The human immediately tried to back away from the pure blood vampire, however, his legs refused to moved as the trembled with pure fear.  
.

He should have been thrilled with being this close to Yami Sennen. After all, his mission was to get close to the vampire kingdom's currently leader. But there wasn't an ounce of joy in Yugi's entire being as he was knelt in front of the pure blood. Yugi only felt fear from the other male's presence. Nothing about Yami made him feel safe or joyful. The vampire before him had the appearance of a demon, a starved one at that.

When the vampire's body knelt so his eye level was level with the human's, the world went cold for Yugi. Yami's blood covered hand reached out and tilted Yugi's head back, and the human stopped breathing while his body trembled and his mind realized that he was not going to survive this.

Never, never had Yugi felt as weak as he did now, with his life in the hands of a leech. He couldn't remove his eyes away from Yami's piercing red ones, as if it was some hypnotic trance. Slowly he felt his body unwillingly relax and his mind go clouded. A soft voice in Yugi's mind was cooing for the human to sleep, his eyes were all too willing to obey as they started to drupe with exhaustion. The teen was just about to give in to sleep, when a spark in his mind went off.

Automatically, Yugi's eyes went back to being wide opened before he Scrambled to his feet and backed way from Yami as much as he could. "Stop it! Get out of my head! Get out! Get out! GET. OUT!" The human scream as loud as he was able to, pressing his palm against his temples while squeezing his eyes shut. "Stop it! I refuse to do what you want me to do!"

Yugi's protesting had caught Yami of guard. When the human had reopened his violet hues, he surprised to see the shocked look of a now standing pureblood vampire. He noticed the crimson irises flickering with mixed emotions, before they hardened into a narrowed stare. "How did you know I was using compulsion?"

"My…My best friend is vampire. Have you forgotten that?" Yugi answered the pureblood with a soft whisper, his breathing still uneven with no pattern to it. Although Yami seemed to not mean any harm, Yugi refused to let his guard down, he refused to be calm.

Yugi seen Yami's lips move but failed to hear the sound of the red-eyed male's voice. The action made Yugi uncomfortable. A pale hand reached out towards him, but Yugi was quick to grab Yami's wrist with his own hand before the vampire could touch him. Just as Yugi had grabbed Yami's wrist, the human found his hands being held above his head and his body being forced back till the human's back hit a brick wall. Yugi struggled against Yami's viper like grip.

"Let me go!" Yugi snapped, trying to pull his hands free from the vampire.

Yugi was answered with silence from Yami. Though as he examined the face of the vampire, Yugi notice it was strained as if Yami was fighting against something or he dealing with a look quickly dissolved as the vampire started to lean forward.

Instantly, Yugi began thrashing in Yami hold when he noticed the vampire starting lean closer to him. He heard the predator growl in annoyance as his grip tightened on both Yugi's wrist and chin. "Relax." Yami spoke in a honeyed tone.

Unwillingly Yugi's body relaxed, though his mind was still as restless. Yugi drew in a sharp breath and would have shaken violently if his body would have listened to his mind. "W-What did you do to me!?" Yugi asked his voice unnaturally even as he stared at Yami with terrified wide violet eyes.

"I made your body relax, it'll be easier this way…." The vampire trailed off as he nuzzled the left side of Yugi's neck with his cheek and nose.

"Stop it!" Yugi's voice cracked as Yami started to lick his neck in the same fashion as Ushio, however, it wasn't as rough or taunting. Before Yugi could open his mouth again, Yami had used his free hand to cover Yugi's mouth like a muzzle.

Immediately, Yugi started screaming his protests into the hand, trying to make Yami release him or draw attention to them. The human tried to kick the vampire, but he couldn't feel the lower half of his body. In fact, he couldn't feel any part of his body from his neck below. It was strange feeling that sent Yugi's mind even more into turmoil.

His fear, unfortunately, was completely wiped from his mind the moment a burning pain exploded on the side of his neck. He was being pierced by not one set of fangs, but two. Yugi could feel it as Yami's fangs sink deeper and deeper through his skin and muscles until they pierced his carotid artery. Only then, did the pain ease up slightly as Yami's venom started to numb the area. The human felt Yami retract his fangs from the small holes that he had created in the side of Yugi's neck, before he started to suck on the flesh and extract Yugi's blood.

The vampire had only took one mouthful, before Yugi started to feel light-headed. His pulse slowly throbbed at the back of his skull while Yami drank heavily from his body. "Please…stop," He spoke weakly against Yami's palm, hoping the vampire would listen to him, but no such thing happened.

After Yami's second mouthful, the vampire pulled away from Yugi's neck and closed the wounds he had created by flickering his pink muscle over the four tiny holes in the human's neck. Relief flooded Yugi's mind. He was still alive. Somehow, he had managed to survive and was still living.  
He would be able to go home and see his grandpa again-

Yami's fangs sank back into the flesh of his neck for a second time. This time more painfully.

The human's screams were muffled against the vampire's slim hand. Yugi felt his body burn with the heat of Yami's venom entering his body for a second time, but the heat was slowly extinguish as more of his blood was stolen from him. Causing the human to grow cold. He was bitten for a second time… a second time! Yugi felt his body grow heavy, but his mind still functional and vividly alert. A second time being bitten meant his fate was he survived this, Yami would be forced to take him as a feeder. The leader of the vampire race couldn't undo what he had done. He also, couldn't ignore his own law. Yugi was going to be stuck as Yami's feeder until he died.

After Yami had pulled away and healed the puncture wounds, Yugi's neck still burned with a painful fire. It was the only feeling he felt in his entire body as his mind became dull and his spirit defeated. The painful scorching sensation made Yugi think he had fallen into the deepest pit of Hell. Which, he might as well have been thrown into in actuality. He was going to be a feeder, he couldn't reverse that. He was going to living a condemned life now, the hunters, the ones he had trained with, would soon be after his head. He would be marked as a traitor soon.

Something dropped to his the eyes he hadn't realized he had closed, Yugi had to physically look down to notice it was his arms. When he glanced back up to look at the male that was only taller than by inches, Yugi was stunned to see Yami covering his mouth with a hand and several meters away. The human tried to stand up straight without using the wall behind him as support, only to have his legs give out from underneath him.

"Damn it! It wasn't… I can't believe...Fucking Hell!"

A cursing voice brought Yugi back to his senses. It took several seconds for Yugi to even realize he had fallen, let alone to figure out his was on his side on the cold concrete. His mind had blacked out without the human even noticing.A dull throbbing erupted throughout the seventeen year old's body, which made it hard for Yugi to use his limbs. Yugi opened his mouth to call out for Yami to come help him, but voice that came forth wasn't his.

"Prince!" A disembodied voice that held nothing but concern for Yami, echoed loudly in Yugi's ears. So much, it was causing the human a headache to join the other aches and pains he had.

Yugi forced his eyes to focus. He noticed a pacing pair of legs in black leather, and figure in white robes approaching the pacing person at a brisk pace.

"There you are, the rest of the court has been looking for you. There are rogue vampires on the loose it's not safe for you to be… Well never mind it seems you've taken care of them yourself."

Yugi had turn his head and strain his eyes just to see Yami shrug his shoulders and look away from the figure in white robes, which was now turning into a blur of white due to Yugi's failing vision. The unknown voice started speaking again, this time too soft for Yugi to make out words. It displeased him, he wanted to know if this new comer was threat to him or not. He so badly wanted to rest and give into the growing darkness, however, he could hardly do such a thing lying on the sidewalk in the middle of December after getting mauled by vampires.

The human closed his eyes as the small headache had erupted into a massive migraine, in hopes it relieve some of the pain. Finding it to of no help, Yugi reopened his eyes, only to find himself face to face with an unknown face.

Yugi jumped and his eyes did a quick scan of the person in front of him. Sharp gray eyes, a slim sharp nose, thick eyelashes and odd markings on the corner of the stranger's eyes, Yugi's mind was quick to match the stranger's face to one of the men in the profiles Pegasus had supplied him with. This man, Yugi recognized as just simply Mahaad, one of the six members on the royal court. He had been the late pharaoh's best friend, at least, that's what the profile had said. Yugi didn't coward away from the man, instead he welcomed the vampire's close contact as he gently touch Yugi's forehead. From the background information that he had on Mahaad, the man was only to be feared if provoked in the wrong way. Yugi trusted to information Pegasus had given him, hopefully this male could help him get away from Yami for the time being.

Yugi observed the light frown on Mahaad's face, before he stood and moved away from Yugi to face Yami who still was pacing some distance away from Yugi. "Prince, you've done no harm to him. He was just in shock when you lost control. I'm sure he'll be fine once he's calmed down and has a good night's rest. For the mean time we need to get the human to Isis, otherwise he may succumb to his injuries."

Yugi's mental resolve crumbled at Mahaad's words. "I am going to die?" He had to force the quiet words out, but their meaning was just as powerful as if he had struggled to get them out.

Yugi watched as the noble vampire turned around and gazed down at him with an unsure face. The Egyptian priest looked perplexed as he struggled for words to reply with. "I..I'm not entirely sure. My anatomy and medical knowledge of humans is far from the best. I'm only assuming the very worse so we can get you care quicker."

Yugi was somewhat relieved that Mahaad could barely tell what a human's breaking point was, which meant he could better than the other male thought. The human forced his gaze upwards to look at the dark sky filled with dazzling stars to relax his mind.

"Okay," Was the only reply Yugi gave back to the male as his purple eyes searched the sky for a familiar constellation. A distraction he hoped would keep his mind from being haunted from his hellish experience with Yami.

His stargazing was interrupted when Yami had gently eased Yugi into his arms, carrying the human bridal style. Yugi's eyes flickered to the vampire's face finding it deprived of any emotions as his terrifying red eyes focused on the path he had started walking. Yugi's mind was slightly grateful for Yami's appearance. Although the man had bitten him without his permission, the human concluded it was the rightful payment since Yami, had saved his life. Because of him he could live another day. Hug his grandfather again, talk to his friends, finish his mission and complete his goal to help the seal vampire his life back.

After several minutes of Yugi just simply staring at Yami, the pureblood vampire had finally glanced down at Yugi before looking back up and away. "I made you mine…"

The human felt a lump clog his throat from Yami's words and he curled his hands into light first. That was right, Yami had claimed him as feeder the moment his fangs had pierced the human's neck for a second time. The human swallowed the lump in his throat and took in a shaky breath.

Ushio was right, everything had ended tonight. Everything was over now. One slip up, and he would have nothing. No friends, no home, no family, and no life. Yugi had treaded on thin ice and fell through. It was only a matter until the sharks gobbled him up. The human could only imagine the horrors that awaited him after tonight. His chances at a normal life, were gone. Now he would have to spend every day gambling with the Devil, until the day he finally did lose. Or at least, until the Devil realized he had already lost several rounds ago.

The human let out a soft laughter that sounded melancholy, at his thought before finally uttering his words of defeat. "Game...Over."

* * *

**AR: **This was only late because of my poor planning. I totally forgot about Thanksgiving, and well I was about to update this when my family members out of states showed up at my door step, go figure.  
So yeah, their company has majorly distracted me. But hey, Bros before Hoes. My family well a majority of them anyways, are my bros. Atem, Yami and Yugi are the hoes.  
You guys are my fuel and reminders to not forget about my Hoes, which is important because I'm a very forgetful person!

This chapter was a total of 10,902 words!  
The first part of the chapter is one of my favorite scenes.  
It's adorable, funny and kind of disturbing too.  
I'll edit it after Thanksgivnig, because I know there are some error in this chapter...some where.

Anyways, thank you for the support! Please leave a review!

**Edited on : 10/8/2016**


	4. Night IV: Discovery

**Night Four:  
****Discovery.**

* * *

Violet eyes gazed up at a coffered ceiling, while Yugi tried to figure out what to do from here. Last night, was a foggy memory to him. He could remember the events and even still hear the voices clearly, but the faces and objects were blurry and the voice where just jumbled sounds to him. Everything had just been too much for his brain to process. Even now, after a sleepless night and hours of solitude, he still couldn't bring himself to expect that he was now the personal 'juice box' of Yami Sennen, the ruler of the Vampire Kingdom.

Despite that though, Yugi was truly grateful to the vampire. Yami had saved him, when he didn't have to. He could have just allowed him to die by Ushio's hand, but he hadn't. The pureblood vampire and a priest from the royal court last night, had also made sure Yugi had been given proper care. Yami had carried his limp body to the Muran estate, much to Yugi's demise, and from there he was given perhaps the best care he had ever experienced from a healthcare worker. But Yugi wasn't even sure if the woman had experience in the medical department. The medical practice she had used on him was by far, the weirdest thing he had ever experienced.

Isis, as Yugi recalled the name of the beautiful tan vampire's name to be, had used magic to cure-all the wounds that covered his body. A warm light had covered her hands as she gently touch the bruising on his pale skin, though her hands had been ice-cold to the touch as she healed the dark contusions on his skin. Although it had taken what felt like a bazillion hours for her to heal each and every last bruise on his body, it saved the human from having to endure four painful weeks of naturally healing. For his cuts and the scraps that the beating had caused on his body, Yugi wished he hadn't been born after the disturbing method of healing.

With every cut he had on his body, Isis had poured hydrogen peroxide on the wounds then forced Yami to seal them by running his tongue over the broken areas of the human's skin. Although the cleaning solution didn't burn him when it was applied, the feeling of Yami's tongue licking him was enough to scar Yugi for life. Apparently Yami hadn't been too fond of it either. With each time the vampire had went to close one of Yugi's cuts Isis had cleaned, the vampire had either gagged, groan, spat, or cursed under his breath. Yugi figured hydrogen peroxide and blood wasn't a tasty combination for a vampire.

The only thing that Isis couldn't heal for him was the annoying concussion he had gained when Ushio, decided to tackle Yugi like an American football player. She only gave him two weak over the counter painkillers and told him not to sleep that night. That was the last thing she had done for him before giving him a full tablespoon of pure nastiness. Yugi would have spat the horrible stuff that was causing his taste buds to suffer, had Isis not place one of her lovely hands over his mouth. She had said it was a 'one time only' thing, until she was able to get the blood replacement shot available for him. Yugi, however, still doubted the women's words.

After Yugi had been full cared for, Yami had escorted him silently to one of the guest rooms. Yugi couldn't remember if the vampire had spoken to him or not before he had left Yugi to himself for the night. If he had Yugi's mind hadn't registered it. Still, it wouldn't have mattered much even if Yami had something to him. Yugi still wouldn't have paid no heed to his words, he had been too wrapped in his thoughts last night to hardly pay attention anyone who spoke to him. Hell, he was still like that now.

The human laid on the dark brown and gold comforter covering the soft queen sized bed he was sprawled on, as he tried so desperately to think of his first move for this 'new game'. How long had he been thinking about what he should do next? All night, most likely.

Yugi bit his bottom lip as he realized he had never made it home for dinner, let alone come home at all. Finally prying his violet eyes from the ceiling, Yugi allowed them to drift to the window, spotting small rays of light soaking through the cream-colored curtains, indicating that it was morning.

His grandpa must be worried sick about him. Rogue vampires had entered the city, Yugi had failed to show up, and no doubt the streets were Yami had murdered the rogues and Ushio at, were still caked in body parts and blood. The old man was most likely thinking that his only grandson, the only family he still had alive, was dead.

Yugi sat up and looked down at his soiled uniform pants and hoodie. While he was now physically unharmed, his clothing told another tale. One that involved blood spills and a few meetings with the ground. His pants could be saved after a few 'spin cycles' in the wash, however, his hoodie was completely ruined from Yami's method of feeding. The entire left side of the teal hoodie's collar was stained a dark red. Yugi had known vampire feedings could get a bit messy. but hell, did Yami really have to ruin his clothing? He had liked this hoodie, and now Yugi was going to have to get rid of the ruined jacket and find a replacement.

With a soft sigh, Yugi laid back down on the soft bed before reaching for his phone in his pants pocket. He mentally prepared himself for having a voice box filled calls from his grandpa, and that was exactly what he a received when his phone revealed his missed calls, voice messages and text messages.

Yugi felt guilt overwhelm his body as he spotted the outrageous amount of missed and ignored messages overloading his phone. One hundred thirteen text messages, forty-seven missed calls, and thirty-three voice messages were awaiting for his attention. A majority of the phone calls had been from his grandfather, while the rest came from Jonouchi, Honda, Ryou, and Malik. His grandfather must have called his friends in hopes they might have known where Yugi was. And knowing them, Yugi figured they must have spent their night outside looking for him.

Yugi was too afraid to look at his text messages or listen to the voice messages left for him. He didn't want to hear or read about the suffering he had caused the people he loved dearly. Instead, Yugi simply wanted to relieve it. He only wanted to soothe his grandfather's worries, and allow his elderly mind to rest. Climbing off the bed, Yugi scrolled through the contacts in his phone until he found his grandfather's number. Yugi hesitated as he walked towards the two large bay windows the room owned.

His heart thumped loudly in his chest as he pressed the call button and held the device up to his ear. Yugi closed his violet eyes to fight off anxiety and tried his best to calm himself. This was just his grandfather after all. Nothing to be fearful or nervous about until after their game of Twenty Questions, then he would have to get an earful of scolding from his grandpa.

Yugi didn't have long to compose himself. On the second ring, the shop's phone had been picked and silence settled over the phone line.

Aware that the shop's phone did not have caller ID, Yugi cleared his throat before he spoke up."Grandpa?"

"Yugi," His grandfather's voice sounded relieved and exhausted but it still held to power to make his anxiety disappear.

"Hi Grandpa," Yugi's body felt a strange sense of relief as he greeted his grandfather.

"Oh thank God you're all right. Do you know how much you had me worried, child? Jonouchi and I have looked all over the streets for you! Where are you, Yugi?" Yugi opened his eyes and started to explore the guest room he was in, bit by bit while he listened to every word his grandfather spoke and cherished them deeply.  
The human paused his walk when his grandfather asked him where he was. Immediately Yugi was reluctant to answer, he wasn't sure how his grandfather would react to him being at the home of the vampire leader. The large modernized palace was anything but safe.

"I'm… in a safe place, so don't worry Grandpa," So then why did he call it safe? The human gazed at a picture frame that was deprived of any sort of photo. Yugi frowned at both the silence in his ear and at the fact that someone had neglected to put a photo in the frame.

"Child-" Yugi prepared himself for a scolding when he heard his grandfather's tone and pressed his lips into a thin line. "Tell me where you are! Don't make my stress load heavier. I'm already way past my limit, boy, "Yugi cringed from the angry voice his grandfather used with him. His grandfather hardly ever got angry with him, but it seemed Yugi was starting to make a new habit with igniting the old man's fuse.

Yugi braced himself against the closest wall and sighed heavily. "Grandpa, I can't tell you exactly where I'm at," It was more like he couldn't bring himself to tell the old man where he was. If his grandfather found out he was in the Muran estate, the old man would have a heart attack. "I'm safe. There's not a bruise or cut on my body so please Grandpa, just calm down. I'll be home as soon as possible," Yugi tried to reassure Solomon, knowing very well that he was perhaps going to have repeat those very words several times to get the man to believe him.

"Fine," Yugi smiled as he heard his grandfather sigh in defeat. "If you cannot tell me where you are, that's…okay. " Yugi could tell the words were forced out of his grandfather's mouth. "However, that doesn't excuse you from telling me why you weren't home for dinner last night."

"Grandpa it's a really long story-"

"Yugi Mutou, you better make that long story short then. If I don't know why you weren't home last night in the next five minutes, you can kiss your new Duel Monster's dueling disc goodbye!"

The seventeen year old's jaw dropped in disbelief. His grandpa wouldn't cancel his pre-order, he prayed he wouldn't. That punishment would be even worse than last night! "Okay, okay! I'll tell you, just don't do anything to my pre-order!" Yugi could practically see the smug victory grin on his grandfather's face in his mind. His perverted grandfather never played fair.

Yugi moved from the wall to sit on the edge of the full-sized bed. He kept quiet for a brief moment as he tried to sum up last night into a short story that neglected much of the details. "I was on my way home from the arcade last night and I was confronted by…a group of rogues-"

"Rogue vampires!? Yugi-"

"Let me finish, Grandpa!" The teen snapped slightly annoyed by his grandfather's interruption. Let out a sigh, Yugi mumbled a soft apology to his grandfather, before trying to finish his story without any more interruptions. "Three rogue vampires had been tracking me and the trio confronted me. I thought I was going to die, even with fighting them off, but I was saved by another vampire. I'm grateful for that. He rescued me and because of that, I can live another day," Yugi looked down at his lap. Telling his grandfather that he had been attacked by rogues was the easy part. Now he had admit to his grandfather that now he was some vampire's personal blood bag.

" I...I…" He couldn't say the words. Not to his grandfather, not out loud.

"Yugi my child," Solomon had started to say, but the teen quickly cut him off.

"Ibecamesomevampire'sfeederthatIbarelyknow. YoucankillmewhenIgethome, ifIevergethome! ThisguyisreallyimportantandIhighlydoubthe'sgoingtoletmeout!" His words were jumbled and mashed up together, making no sense even to himself. However, Yugi felt a massive amount of relief flood him after he had voiced the gibberish.

"Child, I have no idea what you just said. Could you repeat that?" Yugi's relief shattered. His eyebrow twitched and a strained smile appeared on his face as his mind registered that his grandfather hadn't been able to understand a word he had said.

"N-No problem Grandpa. No. Problem," Yugi forced himself to say, before taking a deep breath to calm himself. Hopeful this time his grandfather could understand him. "The vampire that rescued me, claimed me as his feeder."

Silence fell over the phone line, making Yugi wonder if he had lost connection to his grandfather. Just as he pulled the phone away from his ear to check his service bars, he heard a yell roar from the speaker in his phone. Yugi was all but frozen by fear as he slowly brought the phone back to his ear. "G-Grandpa?"

"Who claimed you!?" The old man snapped at Yugi.

"I don't…want to say," Yugi said sounding ashamed as he felt the familiar feeling of guilt return to him.

"Yugi, I don't care. Out with it, so I can try to protect you from the Association!" Solomon raised his voice sounding frantic and Yugi knew exactly why. IVHA had a strict policy of no feeders. If a member or hunter in training were to be bitten, they were to be killed. Even if the person wasn't turned or a feeder, they were still killed. He was the only exception or at least, that's what Pegasus had him believing.

"Grandpa I'll tell you later- HEY!" Yugi's head snapped around when his phone was rudely yanked from his hand. The human's round violet eyes widened for just a millisecond before they narrowed at the culprit that stole his phone from him. It was Yami.

The pureblood had his typical poker face on; an emotionless mask that displayed no emotions towards anyone or thing. The only different about it now, was the protective look that glossed Yami's dark crimson eyes.

"Who's this?" Yami asked while pointing a finger at Yugi's phone.

"It's my grandpa, now give it back!" Yugi did his best to try to grab his phone from Yami. Although he was only a few inches shorter than Yami himself, the human still couldn't reach his phone when Yami held it above his head.

"Is he related to you by blood?" The vampire questioned as he gazed down at Yugi with burning red glare. Yugi felt all fight drain from his body when those wine colored eyes met his eggplant colored irises. It was an odd feeling, one Yugi could only prayed that wouldn't be felt every time Yami looked him in the eyes. It made the human want to submit, something Yugi refused to do.

"Y-Yes, so could you please give it back-"

"Hello, this is Mr. Mutou correct?" Yugi's mouth dropped when the vampire had placed the phone to his ear and started to casually speak with his grandfather. Just because Yami was the 'Prince' and the current ruler of the vampire race, did not give him the power to take the phones of humans and start speaking with their grandparents.

As Yami started to parade around the room still talking to Yugi's grandfather in casual tone, Yugi silently glared him down. The human tried his best to make his silent anger known to the other male, but Yami seemed completely oblivious to it. After five minutes of silent glaring getting him nowhere, Yugi stood from the bed and tried to take his phone back from Yami. Just as his hand had grazed the surface of the cellular device, Yami had switched it to the other ear with missing a single word Yugi's grandfather had said and had Yugi's arms pinned behind back with his free hand.

"I understand Solomon. Your grandson will be home before dinner with plenty of time to do his chores. I'll be hanging up now," Yugi squirmed against Yami's grip as he listened in to the remainder of their conversation. The human had paid enough attention to Yami himself after the call, to notice the hand slipping his phone into the rear pocket of his soiled navy blue slacks until it was too late.

"W-What are you doing?" Yugi stuttered as he tried his best to get Yami's hand out of his back pocket. He didn't have to put in too much effort because Yami's hand removed itself just as quick as it had entered, without lingering.

"I was giving you the phone back," The vampire replied, releasing Yugi's arms before moving away from the human to take a seat on the edge of the soft bed.

Yugi rubbed away the soreness in his wrist and arms as he watched Yami cautiously. "Well you could have just handed it back," The human argued looking at the light red fingerprint marks Yami had left on him.

"I could have, but I didn't." The vampire's red eyes watched Yugi's hands rub away the marks he had left on the fragile creature. Although his facial features did not show any emotion, Yugi could see the sliver of regret lingering in those crimson red eyes.

Yugi blinked when he thought he saw Yami's face soften, though he saw no such thing when he refocused his gaze on the male's face. He looked away from the vampire to notice a pile of neatly folded clothes placed on the center of the bed. Yugi felt own coldness slowly ebb away, resulting in a soft exhausted sigh leaving from the human's nose.

"Are the clothes for me?" Yugi asked sounding hopeful as he took a seat on the opposite side of the bed, away from Yami.

"They are. It's some old clothing that I don't wear anymore. The pants might be a little long on you, but the shirt should fit you fine," The pureblood replied his red eyes looking down at the clothes before glance back up at Yugi. His face was still deprived from emotion, but Yugi could hear kindness being hinted at in the 'Prince's' deep voice.

"Thank you," Yugi replied smiling as he reached for the clothes and pulled them into his lap to examine them at a closer range. Yami had given him a simple white button down dress shirt and a pair of black dress slacks. The shirt appeared like it would fit him just fine, however, the pants were obviously going to be too large for the human. It was a good thing their school required the male students to wear black belts, otherwise Yugi would have to be holding the slack up with his hands as he walked.

Silence filled the room as Yami continued just to watch him with his intimidating red gaze. At first Yugi hadn't been bothered by it, but the silence was making the haunting gaze of the vampire unbearable. Yugi did everything he could think of to distract himself from Yami. He twiddled his thumbs, looked everywhere but at Yami, and he even started to count how many photo-less picture frames there were in the room.

"How are you feeling? Do I need to get a healer for you?" Yugi was caught off guard when Yami had broken their silence. When he turned to look at the vampire, he found Yami looking up at the ceiling instead of at him. It pleased Yugi somewhat to know the vampire wasn't looking at him anymore, but it also disappointed him that the vampire refused to show his emotions.

"I actually feel better than I did before I encountered Ushio," Yugi responded to Yami, assuring the vampire that he was fine. "I have you to thank for that, I guess," The human laughed nervously and offered a small smile to Yami, who still refused to look at him. The vampire had only hummed in acknowledgment to his praise, not even bothering with actual words as silence settle of them again.

Not wanting to have to deal with the silence of the room again, Yugi started to bombard Yami with the question that had been plaguing his mind."Why did you help me last night? You could have just left me there to die, but you didn't. Why did you make me your feeder? Why not choose one of the girls at school who practically beg to be your personal blood bank? Why me?" They were silly and typical questions, Yugi knew that. But he had to have them answered. The human couldn't stand having the senseless questions cluttering his mind and preventing him from figuring out how to deal with this mess he had gotten himself in.

Yugi watched as Yami shifted, leaning forward and resting his head in his hand while his elbow was propped on his leg. "I'm still trying to figure those things out myself," The vampire answered sounding unsure. "The biting had been accidental. I allowed my instincts to take control when I was checking your body for broken bones. Marking you as my feeder was the only way I could prevent myself from draining you completely in that moment," Yami answered before he let out a soft chuckle and looking over his shoulder at Yugi. "You told me yourself that I needed some good 'O negative' blood. I just happened to snag some 'AB positive blood' instead."

Heat flooded Yugi's cheeks and there was nothing he could do to stop the bright blush from forming. The human looked away laughing nervously. "I-I did say, d-didn't I?" He stuttered feeling embarrassed that his rude comment from several weeks ago was being used against him.

Louder laughter from Yami cause Yugi's blush to burn brighter and the human tried his best to regain his composure. "Yes, you did, but enough of this" Yami spoke in a tone only Kings possessed as he stood up from the bed and started to walk towards the door. "You need to get dress, we have much to discuss with the court. "

"Wait!" Yugi raised his voice to catch Yami's attention as he stood up from the bed as well.

"Yes?" Yami acknowledged Yugi, turning to face the human with arms crossed over his chest.

Yugi looked down at his black and white tennis shoes as he put his thoughts together, before he lifted his gaze to Yami. Purple orbs burned brightly with confusion as he gazed at the Prince. "Ushio said something last night, something that has me baffled," Yugi started, his eyes observing Yami carefully. "Ushio said the former ruler had died by the hands of a human he trusted. Is that true?"

Yugi instantly regretted his question when he witnessed Yami's physical reaction. The vampire had stiffened, red eyes dilated and Yami became even paler than he already was. Yugi instantly realized the look Yami had on his face that was normally emotionless. It was devastation.

The vampire's head dropped so the golden bangs that framed his face, casting a shadow over his eyes and prevented Yugi from seeing most of his face. "No. He wasn't…he wasn't killed. The human had just…taken him away from us," The pureblood sounded defeated, like he had lost to greatest evil in the world. "At- Our Pharaoh," Yami quickly corrected himself, "Was taken from the entire vampire kingdom, the human kingdom he ruled, and from his loved ones. A mere human cannot kill someone like our king. The human had just… made it impossible for anyone to reach our beloved. Even I couldn't reach him or bring the king back to us…"

Yugi didn't know why, but he found his legs moving his body closer towards Yami's rigid body. His hands had minds of their own as they grabbed a hold of Yami's that had been curled into a tight fist. "I'm sure that when he's ready, your king will return to you. You've been trying your best to keep everyone and everything in order for him, while also awaiting his return so patiently. He's grateful, I'm sure of it. "

Those weren't the words Yugi had wanted to speak, instead they had just came out. None of things he was doing were what he had wanted to do in order to comfort Yami. Not a single one. Nor was this warm feeling of gratitude that was causing his heart to beat twice as fast.

Yugi bent his knees so he could look at Yami's eyes and flash him a kind smile. That had been the plan until his hopeful grape colored eyes met the angry cherry colored eyes that belong to Yami. The smile instantly faded and all traces of the odd feeling that had invaded his body without permission, had vanished. Regret was the only emotion that Yugi felt, as Yami yanked his hands away from Yugi's.

"What makes you think I'm doing all this for him?! To hell with that bastard! He's just being self-centered, laying around and collect dust all day while I'm doing all of his work! And why? Because he was stupid enough to drop his guard! Especially during the revolts! The only reason why I'm even wait for that fool to come back, is so I can make him pay for the three thousand years that I've been forced to live in misery!"Yami spat while turning on his heel and headed for the door.

"Hurry up and get dress, Mahaad will be here in five minutes to escort you to the conference hall. We'll discuss your role as my feeder in there," Yugi dumbfoundedly nodded to Yami's words, too worried he'll say something that he hadn't meant too if he opened his mouth again.

Without another word, Yami had opened the guest bedroom's door and exited with harsh slam following his wake. Leaving a flabbergasted Yugi behind in his wake.

Just what the hell had happened?

* * *

Dead.

Yugi was emotionally, mentally and possibly physically dead. He now understood the reason why Yami had been so livid by the fact his lover had left him. That poor vampire had to deal with five unrealisticly boring people every single day, with topics that were probably less interesting than the one they had discussed; his role as Yami's feeder.

Yugi felt like he was the happiest person on earth when Yami had finally dismissed their meeting after three agonizing hours of introductions, stating the rules, and debates about how he should be treated. Maybe the vampire could sense Yugi's mental health depleting the longer he stayed and listened to the five court members bicker.

Despite the debates, the court members seemed fairly nice to Yugi. He had already met Mahaad and Isis the night before and unknowingly, he had met Shada too. It seemed like the bald headed Egyptian vampire knew Yugi too, since he gave the boy a glare and shook his head rather slowly at him. Yugi made a mental note to apologize to the man for getting him lost and losing Ryou's scent.

Then there were the two Yugi had only been able to read about from the profiles Pegasus had supplied him with; Karim and Aknadin. The two hadn't said much to him when they introduced other than Aknadin who stated that he had been the previous pharaoh's only remaining blood relative. Something which Yugi had learned that Pegasus' profile didn't state. It also made Yugi wonder why Yami was in charge while Aknadin should have been the one to assume the throne.

Though none of that mattered now. What mattered was, how much longer he had until he was going to be able to relax in his own bed again. Yugi so desperately needed sleep, he looked he was part of the undead with the dark circles and bags under his eyes.

When Shada had stopped the 2014 Audi S5 3.0T Cabriolet he had used to drive Yugi home, under the orders of Yami of course, the human had failed to notice they were at his home until the passenger door had opened. The action brought Yugi back to reality where he unbuckled his seatbelt and thank Shada as he climbed out of the car. When the Egyptian vampire handed him his schoolbag, Yugi perked up and smiled fondly at the man as he took the bag from him. The human offered another 'thank you' to the vampire before he all but ran, to the back entrance of Kame Game shop.

When Yugi reached the shops' back door the teen was startled when the door swung open before he could even grab ahold of the doorknob. Immediately, he was pulled inside the rear of the shop and into a crushing hug. Yugi instantly knew who had captured him in the painful hug, there was only one person who he was close with that could cause a hug to be this painful.

"Jou… you're crushing me…"

"I don't care, Yug. Ya deserve this for makin' us worry so much!" The scruffy blonde replied as he effortlessly started to carry Yugi around the shop, heading upstairs with the human still in his death grip.

"Jonouchi, I can't breathe! "Yugi gasped out as he pushed against the vampire's chest trying to get free from his best friend's lung crushing hug.

When the two had reached the official living quarters of the Mutou household, Jonouchi had reluctantly released his small spiky haired friend. However, Yugi wasn't off the hook just yet, as Jou started to search the teen for any damages that might have been caused by his disappearance. Groaning Yugi shoved his friend way playfully as he tried his best to avoid Jou's mothering.

"Yug! Come back here, I want to make sure Yami hasn't defiled ya!" Jou yelled as he started to chase Yugi around the house.

The human dumped his backpack on the dining table before running into the living room where he was greeted by Ryou and Malik, quickly the new feeder jumped on the couch in between the other feeders and used them as his personal shields. "Help, I think he's trying to eat me," Yugi said playfully as he pushed Malik closer to Jou.

"How is feeding me to Jou supposed to help?" Malik protested as he scooted away from Yugi with a smug grin.

Yugi pouted as Malik deprived him of protect, but it wasn't there for long as Ryou stood from the couch to separate Jou and Yugi. "Don't worry Yugi, I'll protect you from Mother Jonouchi"

A roar of laughter filled the house from both Malik and Yugi as Jonouchi blushed heavily from Ryou's joke. The blonde vampire turned his head away, sulking as his best friends laughed at him. "I'm not anyone's Mamma. Ya'll got that?" He snapped before sitting on the couch.

"Y-Yeah, we understand you perfectly Mamma Jou!" Malik said through his laughter stirring another laughing fit from Yugi and causing Ryou to start laughing.

A huff came from Jonouchi as he rolled his eyes at his chuckling friends. "Yeah, Yeah. Keep laughin' at me and call me 'Mamma'. You know 'a mamma' whoops their children's ass right?"

This time all four friends start laughing together again after Jonouchi's comment. By the time their fun had ended, Yugi felt like he had to pee, Malik had collapsed on the floor still having a fun laughs ripple through his body, Ryou was in the bathroom and Jou had a proud grin stretched from ear to ear.

"So Yugi, we heard you're Yami Sennen's feeder now. What does it feel like belong to the world sexiest and most powerful man alive?" Malik asked once his laughter had finally been tamed.

"First of I'm not 'owned by him and second, how do you know about that?" Yugi looked at his friend with confusion.

"Your grandfather told us Yugi. Right before he went out to go shopping, if I recall," Ryou answered him returning from the bathroom while wiping his hands on his pants.

'So that's why he's not here,' Yugi thought to himself before leaning back against the couch. "Honestly, I don't feel any different other than being tired. A woman named Isis told me I couldn't sleep last night, so my energy levels are running extremely low, " He finally replied to Malik's question seeming deep in thought.

"Isis must have been worried that you could have had a concussion. Normally she's all about us feeders getting a proper amount of rest each night, " Ryou responded to Yugi taking a seat on the armrest of the couch.

"What about the biting part?" Jou asked as he sat up looking at Yugi with curious eyes. "Did it hurt?"

The human cringed as he remember the process of Yami feeding from him. Gently Yugi touched the left side of his neck with his fingertips. His violet eyes dulled a considerable amount, as the memory of pain swirled around in his head. "It… hurt a lot. " 'Like Hell's flames had swallowed me whole and then the Devil started to stab my neck with a pitch fork.' Yugi had only said the last part to himself but the way he look, was sure to make his friends realize the tremendous amount of pain Yami had put him through by biting him.

" Really?" Malik spoke up seeming somewhat in disbelief. "I didn't hurt the first time I was bit by Marik, nor any other times for that fact."

"Maybe Yami used his lower fangs by accident," Ryou claimed as he looked at his group of friends with his soft brown eyes. " Bakura said that purebloods have lower and upper fangs, he even showed me his. But he said that technically the lower fangs are for tearing and shredding, not for drinking blood."

Yugi let out a hysterical laugh before covering his face with his hands. "No wonder why my hoodie was covered in blood!"

Jou let out a loud laugh and pulled Yugi close for a side hug. "You got yourself a little piggy, pal!"

"True! But not the biggest one, that title belongs to you!" Malik teased Jou.

"At least I don't have to feed weekly!" The blonde vampire cooed in victory, placing his feet on Malik's back.

"Wait weekly? You mean I have to feed Yami weekly?!" Yugi looked at his friends as if they had just told him the world was ending tomorrow.

"Yes, it was a law passed about ten years ago by the court. All noble and pureblood vampires who have a feeder must feed from them weekly to keep up their strength. Yami had rejected it because it wasn't traditional, but he was overruled by the last Muran family member. It's not that bad, both Malik and I have to feed out vampire weekly. It's actually kind of relaxing in a way," Ryou explained to Yugi with a smile.

Yugi merely shook his head and looked away. "That's easy for you to say. Ryou you have been Bakura's feeder for nearly three years now and Malik has been Marik's for two," The violet eyed boy complained as he used Jou as his personal pillow.

His friends simple looked at Yugi not uttering a word, nothing they would say could help him as he adjusted to the idea of being Yami's feeder.

* * *

Not long after Yugi's grandfather had arrived back from shopping, Jou, Malik and Ryou had left. The three all had made up excuse for them to leaving, knowing very well their friend need time alone so he could rest. Although Yugi was lacking sleep, he didn't wanted to sleep yet. Instead, Yugi wanted to do a bit of research on the previous pharaoh. He wanted to at least figure out what had happened to the male. The way Yami had worded everything, he made it seem like the previous ruler had willingly left, which didn't settle right with Yugi. The human was lucky his grandfather had an entire study filled with books connected to the royal family of the vampire kingdom and Ancient Egypt. Or else his curiosity would have had to wait until after he caught up on sleep.

It had taken most of dinner time for Yugi to convince the old man to let him use the old study to dig up a little background on the former vampire kingdom ruler, but he managed to do it. The seventeen year old had quickly finished his food his grandpa had fixed, washed up his dirty dishes before bolting upstairs to his grandfather's study.

Yugi wasted no time when he got to his grandfather's study. Although he had little knowledge about the previous ruler of the vampire kingdom, Yugi knew the exact books that he could find a biography on the man. Not having to look to hard to find them, Yugi collected the two books he knew that the pharaoh would be located in and sat down at the wooden desk his grandfather kept a cluttered mess.

The first book Yugi had decide to search through was a massive record book his grandfather had, that had every rule of each vampire king, excluding Yami. Yugi opened the book's cover and he quickly started flipping through the pages, skipping several generations till he reached his goal; the last recorded rule in the vampire kingdom.

The young male was fairly surprise to find the pages of this section of the book looking worn out, however, he was more surprised by the paper he found shoved in the book at the beginning of the Ruler's story. Briefly forgetting about his research on Yami's former lover, Yugi leaned back in the uncomfortable wooden chair he was seated in. The seventeen year old examined the old piece of paper folded up several times so it could be hidden within the book. Knowing the piece of paper most likely he to deal with Yami's past lover; Yugi placed the old parchment to the side, making a mental promise to look at it after he read all he could about this pharaoh.

_Atem, Son of the late pharaoh Aknamkanon, is a ruler that will be remember for all of his glorious deeds he did during the short three years of his rule. Inheriting the throne at the young age of sixteen, Atem wasted no time after his coronation and had quickly started to try and improve the human kingdom his family had been ruling for several generations._

Yugi had to reread the two introductory sentences to makes sure his mind had processed the words correctly. Something was definitely wrong with this 'pharaoh'. His history classes at school had taught him that the normal vampire king had ruled for at least a hundred years before either retiring or being killed off, but this king didn't even make it past a human's lifespan! As Yugi continued to read, he was surprised to see how much the former king was able to accomplish in just his first year of ruling.

_Pharaoh Atem was a remarkable king, fair and just in his ways. Although he was one of the few remaining in the royal bloodline, the young king never thought much about it. He was a very modest man when it came to his family's power. Never abusing his titles as Pharaoh for the kingdom of Khemet and the King of the Vampire race. The young Pharaoh tried his best not to favor one single species, siding with both vampires and humans and some time, he would choose to remain neutral. He was the king that lessened the rift in between the two races. The pharaoh established rules to insure safety for both humans and vampires, so they could possibly co-exist in the world._

_When droughts came, Pharaoh Atem shared his water with the people. When famine struck, he supplied his people with his food and fresh grains and seeds to plant. When a plague started to kill off the humans and taint their blood, he sent out his healers to aid the sick and gave them warm beds. Pharaoh Atem was considered to be a pharaoh of peace during the first year of his reign. However, groups of humans started to raise against his rule shortly after his first anniversary as Pharaoh._

Yugi had skimmed through the second year Atem had ruled, he was already well informed about the revolts the humans created. The International Vampire Hunter Association taught about them to their recruits trying glorify it as what had led to their formation, and school had hit the highlights as apart of their learning curriculum. The rioting was horrible, innocent vampires were killed along with innocent humans that were thought to be vampires. Yugi had never once thought the retaliation against the vampires was a 'glorious thing' instead, he loathed it.

Finally, after several pages of skimming through history he already knew, Yugi found what he was truly after. The last year of Atem's short reign. It held so many answered that awaited to be discover by Yugi. Focusing himself back onto his goal, Yugi resumed reading Atem's biography.

_Not long after Atem had defeated Zorc, the pharaoh had announced that he and his mate had took up a human to be their personal feeder. The human's name was Heba. He had been just a common servant with the palace's walls and had worked in the kitchen with the cooks. Heba was the first official feeder Atem had laid claim to, along with his lover._

The human stopped his reading again, soaking in the new details he was learning about. Based on what Ushio had spoken about in his crazy state and what Yami had told him, Yugi concluded that Heba, must have been the human that caused the ultimate demise of the previous pharaoh. Yugi shook his head lightly before letting his eyes focus on the dull pages of the old record book once more.

_Heba was given special treatment, he was allowed more privileges as the King's feeder. He was allowed to have his own servants, command servants, access to most of the palace and had been allowed to speak to the king and his lover without having to request an audience. It was known and confirmed by the 'Prince' that Pharaoh Atem, Heba, and himself had a 'relationship' together, which was kept quiet. The Prince claimed the feeder had 'charmed' his way into an intimate relationship with the royal couple, thus lowering their guards. It was a perfect method for getting in close for the kill._

_Only two weeks after the Pharaoh's own birthday, Pharaoh Atem had been feeling fatigued. Thinking it was from lack of blood in his system, his court had suggested he feed from Heba. Agreeing, Pharaoh Atem he left to go fetch his feeder. When the pharaoh failed to return to the meeting he had been attending, his cousin High Priest Set and close friend High Priest Mahaad, had excused themselves to look for the pharaoh. When they found the Pharaoh, it had already been too late. The priests were witness to their pharaoh's murder. Heba had jinxed a dagger using a spell only for the use of a high class vampire, and sealed the pharaoh. However, he had perished from performing such a crime shortly after, depriving the pharaoh's people their revenge._

Yugi couldn't wrap his head around the event that ended Atem's reign as king and as pharaoh. He could believe that a mere human that was a feeder, could use a spell created by vampires for vampires to seal off the Vampire King! He just couldn't. There was just no way a human could do something like that.

Yugi closed the record book, sliding it to the side as he picked the old piece of paper he had found in the book. Some of his questions had been answered, but many more had aroused in his mind. One of those question pertaining to 'Pharaoh', the sealed vampire Yugi had been caring for. A question wondering the possibilities of his sealed vampire being Atem.

His mind protested the idea. Although, some of the hieroglyphics in the sealed vampire's chamber told stories similar stories to those written in the biography. The human wasn't sure what to think about the eerie connection. If the man he was working so hard to save was Atem, Yugi wasn't sure what he would do. He wasn't even sure if he could communicate with the male, if he was indeed, Pharaoh Atem. Yugi fiddled with the piece of paper in his hands before unfolding it with a clouded mind. He just didn't know what to do.

When he was finished unfolding the piece of wrinkled paper, Yugi's heart felt like it had stopped beating.

In his hands, was a life like drawing of the sealed vampire he had discovered when he had invaded Yami's home. Nearly everything matched with the memories Yugi had from caring for the vampire. The high cheek bone, the slim pointed nose, the full lips, thick eyelashes, beautiful tanned skin and even small the dimples were present in the drawing! The only minor difference was Yugi's vampire's eyes were closed. The drawing's vampire had open eyes that were a vivid red. Yugi couldn't believe what he had just discovered.

Everything was slowly starting to make sense. Why the vampire had been placed in a faceless sarcophagus. Why so many traps had blocked the main entrance to the tomb like rooms. It even explained why his grandfather had gotten upset him for going near the vampire and warned him never to go near him again.

The vampire was the lost king. It was the beloved Pharaoh Atem.

* * *

**AR: **Definitely not happy with this one, it's more or less a filler chapter, but still important and relevant.

Total word count: 7,958 words.

Thank you for all the reviews, follows, and faves!

I'm sorry for the poor quality on this chapter. I had an off day. T.T

**Edited on: 10/8/16**


	5. Night V: The Pharaoh

**an: shall edit later when I'm not a living zombie. **

* * *

**Night Five: The Pharaoh. **

* * *

The sun had yet to rise above horizon when Yami arrived at Kame game shop. The pureblood wasn't sure why his instincts had forced him to wake up from the peaceful slumber he was having. They welling at him, screaming at him that a person was in his room. But nothing had been there when the vampire had checked for an intruder, it was only him and the shadows he had lived with for so many millenias. Unable to go back to sleep, the vampire prepared for his day early and left to go to his ..feeder's home. The was how he had came to stand outside the Mutou household in the bitter cold.

Yami leaned against the glass doors of Kame game shop and tugged his dark navy blue school blazer tighter around his torso. He could hardly tolerate having Yugi as his personal feeder. It wasn't the boy in general, it was just his family that Yami could not stand. They were a family of unfortunate vampire hunters, and he had no doubt that the child he claimed had been aiming to be one too. Many of the Mutou family had been a thorn in his side since he relocated the vampire kingdom's capital to Japan two centuries ago, however, those poor foolish humans had their own turn on them a number of times. Be it because they had been bitten, been seen talking to a vampire, aided a vampire, or had annoyed the leader of the IHVA to the point where he sent them on a suicide mission. It was a family of bad luck.

The vampire closed his eyes recalling the many Mutou hunters he had witnessed being murdered or had seen their dead bodies. Some had been by the hands of his men, a few were killed from swarms of rogues but most of them, were killed by their own comrades. There was a death that he had witnessed perhaps a little over a hundred years ago where a fellow hunter had staked the human in the chest, who had protected Yami from the incoming attack. He was never given a chance to figure out why the human had saved him. The pureblood had tried to do the same for the fool, but either his venom was poison to the young man, or he succumbed to his wound before Yami's venom could reach his heart.

Then there was the most recent death in the Mutou family; the deaths of Takahashi and Tomi Mutou. Yami's jaw clenched tightly when his mind remembered the archaeologist and his wife who was a physician for both humans and vampires. Twelve years ago, Bakura had somehow met the two. It was through him, Yami had ask if the couple would help with reviving his sealed beloved. He clearly remembered the two looking as if they weren't going to accept his offer, yet Tomi had said she would help in any way possible. Takahasi had agreed too, and used his skills to search through records and familiarizing himself with the enchantment keeping the King sedated.

For two years they had worked together in a trio, functioning like a well-oiled machine. Tomi had examined Atem's physical health, Takahasi did his best to track down any records that connected to the human who had placed the Pharaoh in such a powerless state. While Yami, supplied them with anything and everything they needed and also helped Tomi to maintain the King in good health. He remembered the way those two humans made him feel so clearly, it sickened him. The inferior creatures had gave him false hope, made him feel like that he was like a second son to them. He…felt attached to those humans. Like he had once been with Heba before he had sealed him in cold blood.

The Mutou couple had finally came upon a lead, one which Tomi had discovered from analyzing the spell that seal had originated from. Her words were sorrowful, when she announced to Yami that the only way to break the spell was if someone with Heba's blood pulled that dagger out of the Pharaoh's chest or if he was to gain enough power through drinking human blood for the next millennium. Takahasi had spent his final days looking for anyone with connections through a mostly 'pure' bloodline to Heba. When he finally had discovered something, both he and Tomi had been deployed into a sudden field mission by the Hunter Association.

Yami he known those two had joined the IVHA, after all, he was the one who pushed them to do it so they could use their secret files. The pureblood wasn't thinking clearly back then. He didn't think about the outcomes if the hunters discovered those two were secretly working for him. He didn't know if the IVHA had known from the very start or had discovered it in the short year the two had been a part of the organization, but their timing had been very…inconvenient for Yami. He was so close to being able to reunite him and his lover when the order had been issued. Yami had sent men to the area the Mutou's were deployed to and ordered them to search for the couple. He had accompanied the 'mindless' foot soldiers in their mission, but by the time he found the Mutous, it was too late.

It was a very bad day for him. Not only had he 'lost the King twice', he lost all information to even attempt to try to revive him. Takahasi was knocking on Death's door and Tomi not far behind him, when they were found. They had been mauled, covered in bite wounds. Their necks had pieces of flesh missing from a vampire that had tried to rip out their jugular vein. Tomi was crying, using her remaining strength to cradle her husband's head in her bosom while she pleaded to Yami to save her husband. He had tried to save Takahasi with his venom, but much like the first Mutou he had tried to save a hundred years prior to Takahasi, he died before he was able to become one of the undead. Yami had wanted to try and save Tomi next, but she refused. Before the human had the rest of her life force drain out into the ground below her, Tomi had spoke a vaguely about what had happened. Her weak voice still haunted Yami's memory as she told him of her hellish end. The group of hunters they were with, abandoned the Mutou couple and angered vampires had took turns feeding from the two, after they had blindly walked straight into a coven.

Betrayed by their own kind and left to die. That was the entire past of the Mutou family. Their hunters had been thorns in his side when they killed of his men. But they also became deep wounds when their lives were out of reach. He had allowed three different Mutous to die because he hadn't been quick enough to save their fragile lives. Was it his fault that they died? No. Yami didn't see it as his 'fault'. If anything, it was their fellow hunters' fault. They turned their backs on their comrades and killed them like it was nothing. The members of the International Vampire Hunter Association were almost as chaotic as Bakura and Marik when those two killed, but in a much different way. Bakura and Marik never killed in cold blood, however, Yami believed the Association only killed in cold blood.

Not only was the Mutou family blood stained on the hands of the eastern hemisphere IVHA's representative, but they were also guilty of breaking into his home and trying to steal the Millennium Puzzle out of his room on the night of birthday. Yami growled softly at the memory. He should have increased security like Mahaad had suggested. He wouldn't have to smell some foul human otter on the one thing he was able to keep of Atem's, nor would it be in pieces now. His lover's scent still lingered on the magic item, and was something Yami refuse to allow to wither away despite how time wanted to erase it from existence.

After his men had apprehended the culprit for 'tainting' the only piece of Yami had left of Atem, the 'prince' wasted no time on dwelling what he should do to the human. He tossed the rat into his dungeon to rot away with time. Even now, almost two months later; Yami still didn't know if the pathetic human was alive or not and wasn't going to bother with finding out if he was. Again, that fool's death was not his responsibility. He should have known better than to venture into Death's home and think he'll make it out alive while stealing something of great value.

The ignorance of humans appalled him.

The faint sound of a throat being cleared caused Yami to open his eyes and toss an uncaring look over his shoulder to see an elderly man bundled up in a thick tan jacket, bulky blue jeans, and snow boots on. The pure blood's eyes quickly recognized the scowling old man as Yugi's grandfather. Without being told to, Yami stood straight and moved out of Solomon Mutou's way. The current leader of the vampire kingdom relocated himself to stand in front of the iconic red sign of Kame game shop, leaning against it while crossing his arms over his chest.

His crimson eyes watched Solomon with the intensity that a predator had when it was stalking its prey, but Yami's gaze lacked the hostile intentions. Never once did they leave the elder's form as Solomon exited his warm home to sweep the outside of his shop, making it tidy for the business day. Although Yami's eyes were watching the old man, his mind was certainly not paying attention to him. His mind was busy with thinking about things that held no significant purpose.

"Is sitting outside my home in the cold, going to be a habit of yours?"

Yami blinked, focusing his gaze on Solomon, who was casually sweeping the sidewalk while sparing Yami a single glance. "Well are you going to answer me boy or stand there waiting for the end of the world?" Solomon calmly asked Yami after the vampire had yet to say something within the passing minute.

The royal huffed lightly turning his head away from Solomon to look at the sun that had finally started to bless Domino with its warm rays of light. "I have no intentions of telling a human what my habits are. Especial a fool that is a retired hunter," Yami's deep voice sharply answered Solomon, while he closed his eyes in annoyance.

"Watch that tone of yours, boy! You maybe the king of your race, but that doesn't give you the right to be rude to your elders of other races," Solomon forewarned.

"Solomon, you are no elder of mine. My age is far superior to your own."

"Age is but a number, child. It's the maturity from those years you've lived, that makes up your true age."

Yami kept his mouth shut, not having the energy to argue with the stubborn old man. In the past two days since he's claimed Yugi, the 'Prince' was slowly losing all of his energy to put up a fight against the determination of the Mutou family. Yugi being the main culprit why he could barely hold his own in an argument against him or his grandfather. They both always knew how to get the last word in on a conversation, much to Yami's dismay.

When the smell of Yugi's favorite lavender scented bath soap could be faintly detected by Yami's sensitive sense of smell, the vampire released a heavy sigh, disturbing the semi-quietness that had settled between him and Solomon. He had only a few minutes left to prepare himself for his daily never winning battle.

The soft sounds of Solomon's broom bristles scraping against the pavement slowly came to a stop, causing Yami to turn his back towards the man and finding him staring at him with a look of curiosity.

"Speak, Solomon," Yami gave the man permission to speak, although the human didn't need such thing.

Holding on to his broom tightly with one hand while his other settled on his hip, Solomon cleared his throat. "You're giving up the throne," His words were a statement, not a question. "I have a close friend who has a seat in the council. He told me that you will no longer be the 'Prince' in anymore in the upcoming future."

Yami noticeably flinched from Yugi's grandfather's words. For a moment he was unable to respond, having had forgotten about the topic of him giving up the throne when he had claimed Yugi. This was a conversation Yami particularly did not want to have, not when the subject would be painful as rubbing salt in reopened wounds.

"It's not something the human population should be concerned about. If you're trying to get information out of me, you're better off speaking to a dog," Yami spoke softly, unwilling to discuss the subject with Solomon. Not when he himself, was unable to accept the truth of what it would mean if he gave up the throne. The return of the pharaoh would never come and those who have been patiently waiting for him like Yami, would lose hope just like Yami had.

"I would be since, a dog make better company than you," Solomon's comment earned a low growl and a scowl from Yami. "But a dog doesn't have the power for letting something my son and his wife died trying to protect and help with. Something that I had even attempted to solve, stay alive," The old man spoke as he started to sweep the dirty away from the front of his shop, once more.

Yami's lips were drawn into a tight line as his body tensed. "That is the thing, it's already dead, Solomon. When they died, so did my hope of ever trying to find anyone connected to that traitor and unsealing him. For ten years now, one of the guardians has been bathing the pharaoh in animal blood while I was told to stay away. Every time I even ask about him, I hear the same thing over and over; 'My Prince, I'm doing the best I can, but our Pharaoh seems to not be taking well to the animal blood.' I'm tired of waiting on a lost cause. If that man wanted to be here –" Yami gestured to their surroundings, "- then he would have done so at the first opportunity."

"But this temporary peace the hunters and your kingdom have at this moment, if the person I am thinking about is the one to take your place, then this life we live now is doomed," The old human stressed, though he never seemed too worried about it.

"I'm aware- "

"Bye Grandpa!"

Both Yami and Solomon watched Yugi zip straight pass them with a piece of toast shoved in his mouth and his hair still damp from his morning shower. Yami let out his second heavy sigh of the morning, before his eyes landed on Solomon. Not a trace of emotion could be found in his wine red orbs. "The Pharaoh was in the past, I am the present. The Future of others, is not mine to control," With his finally statement spoken to Solomon, Yami turned on his heel and went after Yugi at a brisk pace.

* * *

Never in his life had Yami been forced to use his advance speed in order to catch up with a mere human, but he had also never encountered a human quite like Yugi before. When the pureblood vampire had finally caught up to Yugi, he wasted no time to grab Yugi's wrist, forcing him to stop his sprinting, and removed the half eaten piece of toast from the human's mouth.

"Hey! Give that back, you're going to make me late even more than I already am!" Yugi complained as he tried to swap his toast from Yami's hand, which was holding it just barely out of his reach.

"You're not running late. Also, if you're planning to run to school while trying to eat this, you'll end up making yourself sick or choke on it," The vampire stated as he stood on his tips of his toes and rose the piece of food above his head as Yugi stood on his.

"It takes me thirty minutes to walk to school and, I won't get sick or choke on my toast, if I run and eat at the same time. I've done it several times before you butted you way into my life," The young human argued back as he jumped and succeeded in snatching his toast from Yami's hand. "Ha! Victory is mine."

Yami rolled his eyes at Yugi's boasting and he watched with a bored expression as the human took a large bit out of his toast before starting to take off running again. Yami had hardly any trouble keeping up with Yugi as he jogged just an arm's length behind his human. He knew the only way to get Yugi to listen to him without using compulsion, was to either gain the boy's trust, or let him learn the hard way. Since it was obvious Yugi hardly trusted him just like he couldn't trust the human, Yami figured he would just let Yugi do as he pleased until-

The sound of coughing plus Yugi stopping in mid-run, made Yami force himself to suppress the victorious smirk trying to creep on to his face. He pushed the joyful thoughts to the back of his mind as he gently patted Yugi's back, and help him cough up the piece of toast that had unfortunately blocked the seventeen year old's airways. When Yugi had manage to cough up the food, he spat it out onto the sidewalk to rid himself of the half digest food.

"I told you," Yami claimed proudly and allowed his victorious smirk to appear on his face. For some reason, he found it highly amusing that Yugi attempting to glare at him, but the look could hardly be called a glare.

"Just...Just because I'm your personal 'juice box' doesn't mean you have to baby me, Yami Sennen. I'm seventeen years old, I'm more than capable of handling and caring for myself," Yugi clarified for Yami after he recovered from his chocking experience.

"Are claiming that you're not my responsibility?" Yami asked, his hands shoved in his pocket and raising an eyebrow at Yugi. His amused smirk was still plastered on his face.

"Yes!"

"So then, you're responsible for making yourself late. Not me," Yami spoke in a taunting voice, which had Yugi confused.

The vampire watched as Yugi checked his phone and the look of devastation slowly appeared on the teens face as he realized there was no way he was going to be able to make it to school just by walking. As much as Yami wanted to see Yugi scramble to get to school, the vampire had his own things to attend to after he made sure his feeder had gotten to their school safely. Just as Yugi had tucked his phone into one of his back pants pockets, Yami had picked Yugi up and tossed him onto his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Don't worry about being late. Since you are my feeder, it'll look bad if both you and I didn't show up to class. People might…'talk'"

"D-Don't joke about that stuff Yami!" Yugi scowled him while he squirmed against the vampire's awkward grasp. "And could you put me down, please?"

"Maybe once we get to the school," The royal taunted before taking off towards Domino Public High School using his supernatural agility.

It had taken Yami on a mere two minutes to reach the high school, where it would have taken Yugi thirty minutes to reach the educational hellhole. The pureblood was pleased with himself. He wasn't known for his speed, but he had gotten to the school grounds in record breaking times. Actually, Yami was one of the slower purebloods in his kingdom, but of course, only the Sacred Guardians knew about it. Though most who have seen Yami run, described it as if he was traveling like the speed of sound. Unfortunate for Yugi, he had to experience the insanely fast movements with hardly a warning.

When Yami had place Yugi gently down on his feet, the pureblood watched with a baffled expression as Yugi sprang to the nearest trashcan to vomit up what little food was in his stomach. The smell of bile overwhelmed Yami's sensitive sense of smell, causing his nose to burn and his own stomach threaten to spill out whatever it contained. With watering eyes that burned, Yami cover both his mouth and nose with his right hand as he went to aid his feeder. Although he was highly opposed to helping the source of the unbearable stench, but Yugi was his feeder and it was Yami's job as a vampire to make sure Yugi's health was at least an 'okay'.

"I forgot how much vomit stinks," Yami muttered to himself sounding nasally from his covered nose.

Yami backed away from Yugi as he straighten back up wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

The human had a look of disgust on his face. "That wouldn't have happened if you didn't use that vampire speed of yours."

The pureblood vampire lowered his hand from his nose and mouth as he glared at the human. 'Does this human believe the fault of him getting sick, is mine only? Ignorant brat.' Yami sighed through his nose, before tilting his head up slightly as he cast his gaze downwards at Yugi. "I wouldn't have been forced to pull such a stunt, if you were had woken up when your grandfather had originally woke you," Yami kept his face void of all emotions as Yugi blushed from embarrassment, or so the prince assumed.

"How do you know that?" The human questioned the vampire sounding somewhat stunned.

"I heard him trying to wake you up before he came outside to sweep the shop this morning," The vampire didn't lie. Although he had been wrapped up his thoughts before Solomon had joined him outside in the cold, Yami was still conscious of his surroundings. Which included some of the Mutou's interior residence.

The vampire watched Yugi's facial expression become clouded with disgust and a hint of horror. "You were standing outside my house that early? Do you not have better things to do in the morning, other than stand outside someone's house."

Yami thought for a moment brief moment before shaking his head. "At the time, I did not. I suppose the only think my mind wanted me to do was be near you."

For perhaps the first time since Yami had claimed the boy as his personal food source, Yugi was completely silent as he glared at the vampire with pure disgust. The look made Yami's un-beating heart jolt in his chest. The vampire's face soften from its emotionless mask and was replaced by worry and confusion. For a fraction of a second the human made him fear that he had done something wrong or unjust. " Did I…do something wrong?"

Yugi shook his head before turning on his heel. "Nothing, ...Stalker."

Cold. Yugi's voice was ice cold and pierced Yami in the chest with his final word. He a stalker? No, that wasn't possible. He wasn't stalking Yugi in any way. The human was already his food source, there was no reason for him to try and hunt a prey that had already been hunted. Unless the human meant another definition….

Yami's pale facial complexion burned a feverish red as his mind finally made the connection between his earlier actions and Yugi's words. "I'm not obsessed with you!" The pureblood vampire blurted out at his human, however, Yugi was already far from him by the time the words had escaped him. Crimson eyes scanned the front courtyard of Domino high school until they landed on the lithe form of his troublesome human conversing with sandy blonde haired Egyptian.

Uncaring what conversation Yugi was holding with the male that Yami recognized as Marik's feeder, the prince stormed his way towards Yugi, seething with silent rage.

"I am not some obsessed follower!" Yami abruptly snapped at Yugi, interrupting whatever he and Malik had been speaking about.

The human looked away from his friend to Yami, with an amused smile on his face. "Then would you care to explain why you were outside my house before Grandpa had even made it out there?"

Yami growled at Yugi's taunting tone. He knew the human was just being playful, trying to get on his nerves. Sadly, it was working. "I just was Yugi, I do not have to explain myself to a human."

Turning to Malik, Yami eyes took in the male's entire appearance, from head to toe. "Watch this troublemaker for me today. I have a meeting to attend to," He ordered the other human, knowing he would follow his command.

"Roger that, Princy," Malik gave Yami a playful salute with a teasing smile, much like Marik's own trouble causing grin.

Yami rolled his eyes at the human. Why humans were such weird creatures, eluded Yami's mind. He gave one more glance towards Yugi, his annoyance had dimmed a bit as he gazed at his human.

Without another word, Yami left the humans to themselves but not before he heard Yugi asking Malik if he had pushed the vampire too far. A smile graced the royal's face as he retreated. Only if Yugi had knew how long it had been since someone had actually taunt Yami playfully, then maybe he wouldn't worry as much.

* * *

_Dear Yugi Mutou,_

_This letter's purpose is to serve as a reminder for Yugi Mutou until, our scheduled meeting is to take place after the New Year Celebration. There, we will discuss what you've discovered and your next course of actions._

_I congratulate you on your rapid development in your assignment. I did not think you would be able to obtain that status as Yami's personal feeder in such a short time. In all honesty, I bargained for you not achieve the status for at least a year into the mission. I realize that the events leading up to him claiming you, were not something a young man your age should have went through. Please note that although you now are no longer eligible for any of our benefits, due to your claiming, we, the International Vampire Hunter Association, are still expecting your full cooperation for the mission your were assigned. If at any point you do not wish to do so any more, we will respect your decision. However, the price for backing out of this mission, is a steep one. It's with a heavy heart that I must inform you, if you were to at any point abandon your mission, 'forget' your objective, or perhaps decide to inform Yami Sennen or any being with ties to him of your objective that I, Pegasus Maximillion will inflict the following punishments as I see fit :_

_I- Yugi Mutou will be placed on the neutralization list were his presence shall be ordered to be annihilated._

_II- Solomon Mutou, retired hunter, shall be requested to serve our beloved hunters once more._

_III- Yugi Mutou will be reassigned a new mission, one often given to hunters of high ranks._

_IV- Yami Sennen shall be attempted to be assassinated and the evidence will be planted on one of the following: Solomon Mutou, Ryou Bakura, Malik Ishtar, Anzu Mazaki, Jonouchi Katsuya, Honda Hiroto or Ryugi Otogi._

_V- Evidence supporting a falsified claim of Yugi Mutou being a spy for enemies against the Vampire Monarchy shall be released._

_VI- The friends and family of Yugi Mutou shall be accidently 'involved' in a vampire hunt and may suffer casualties._

_VII- Yugi Mutou may experience similar situations as he had with the rogue vampire Tetsu Ushio, but with humans._

_VIII- Friends and family of Yugi Mutou may be expelled from the country, as a result of him failing to perform his duties properly._

_IX- Yugi Mutou will be forced to suffer the effects of a vampire's venom, through unwilling injection._

_I do not wish the enforce these punishments, but I will do as needed for the greater good of mankind. Yugi, you and your family have proven yourselves to be excellent hunters. Please, do not fall to the same fate that many of your ancestors had before you. It would be a pity if I lost yet another young Mutou to their own foolishness. Remember, you took up the oath of a hunter's apprentice, you are our trainee, our young kin. Although you will be unable to become a full-fledged vampire hunter, you are still a member of this family. Your heart is with our hearts, we are your ONLY allies. Do not be fooled by false acts of kindness. For there is no redemption for a traitor._

_-Sincerely, Director Pegasus Crawford of the IVHA Domino City Branch, Eastern Hemisphere Representative._

This was the sixth time that he had read the letter Pegasus had sent since. He had received the important message from his grandfather when he had returned home from school. Immediately, Yugi had went upstairs to his room, locking the door for privacy incase his grandpa decided to be nosy, so he could read his message in private... That had been four hours ago.

Now, Yugi sat in the simple black office chair that was stationed behind his desk. The teen's feet were placed on his desk as he leaned back in the office chair, and with an arm tossed over his eyes. Still dressed in his school's uniform that was now wrinkled, Yugi appeared to be distressed mess. His skin was almost pale as Yami's, his hair had bits and pieces separating themselves from his main spikes, there were dark circles under his eyes and Yugi couldn't focus on one single thought. So many of them were going through his head at once. It was just a jumbled up mess.

What the human felt was beyond anger, he couldn't even place a name for what he felt. Even after reading the letter so many times, Yugi just couldn't accept the threat. He did not care what Pegasus did to him or Yami. Yami would be able to handle himself, he was probably used to death threats. And Yugi had always accepted the thought, since he enlisted as a hunter's apprentice, that he could possible live a very short life. The human wasn't scared of death.

What made Yugi upset, was the fact the director was involving his loved ones. That disturbed Yugi and caused him to feel even more fear than when Ushio had tried to kill him. His friends and his grandpa were the people who had help shape him into the person he was today. They were his world and without them, Yugi wasn't sure he would be able to live his life any more.

He was a kind human being with confidence to stand up for himself and for his friends. He had compassion and mercy towards those who claimed to be his enemies, and he could hardly kill a fly. He tried to get along with others and treated everyone as equals, regardless of race. Yugi's friends had also helped him out grow his timid ways, though he still had his bashful moments. His friends and grandpa helped him when his weaknesses got the better of him.

His friends were his family, and his family was his life, along with his favorite card game; Duel Monsters. The human so badly wanted to scream out his frustrations, to tell at least one person about his fears, his worries and ask for advice. Ask for help to protect his fragile world. He knew if he asked, his grandpa or one of his friends, would have been willing to listen to him vent his frustrations. But he couldn't tell them about this. He couldn't put their lives in danger because of his desire to be selfish and revive himself of his stress. There was only one person he could possibly speak to about this, but he was a five-thousand year old sealed vampire that Yugi had been forcing himself to go feed ever since he discover that the vampire was or had been, the previous ruler of the vampire kingdom.

Just thinking about the vampire that had been sealed away, started to calm Yugi's restless mind. The human allowed his eyelids to slide close over his violet orbs and a faint smile tugged at his lips. He enjoyed his moment of peace before deciding that perhaps, it would help ease his stress if he were to go see Atem. Since just thinking about him seemed to make his mind clear.

Opening his eyes and uncovering his face, Yugi stood from his chair and stretched out his arms above his head as he did so. Soft pops came from his stiff joints and the letter in his hand crumbled as he made a fist. Yugi placed the ruined piece of paper on his desk before moving towards his closet.

Since the bath he had given Atem two days ago, Yugi had yet to return to the pharaoh's chamber wearing his school uniform. He wasn't going to risk spilling blood on his school uniform again, especially when the one he was currently wearing had been his spare one. After locating a pair of light gray sweatpants and a yellow long sleeve Nike shirt with the words 'Just Do It' written in a dark grey, Yugi tossed his choice of clothes on his bed before stripping down to plain white boxers he was wearing. The seventeen year old male with wild gravity defying hair was quick to change. Once his pants were on his hips and his shirt was tugged over his slim torso, Yugi grabbed his phone off his nightstand and placed it in his pocket before snatching up his red concealing stone and clasping it around his neck.

Yugi took a deep breath as he grabbed the letter from Pegasus, folded the piece of paper, and then shoved it into his pocket as well. He couldn't risk leaving it incase his grandfather decided to be noisy. After grabbing his wallet off of his neatly made bed, Yugi finished his business in his room and cut the lights off as he exited to head down stairs.

Once down stairs, Yugi start to feel slightly guilty for leaving as the smell of steak, carrots, sweet onions, and zucchini being grilled, filled his noes. The human had to swallow the extra saliva pooling in the bed of his mouth as he headed towards the coat closet in the living room.

"You finally grace me with your presence after being locked up in your room, and now you're leaving before dinner is done?" Yugi heard his grandfather's voice echoing from the kitchen as he tugged on a thick black Columbia winter coat.

"Sorry Grandpa, I just need to go out for a bit," Yugi apologized sincerely as zipped up the thick jacket.

"Go out for what?"

"To clear my head and buy some Christmas gifts. You know it's just a few days away. "

"Oh, well then, we better go back over what do if you encounter a vampire alone at night," Yugi groaned softly at his grandfather's words. He understood why his grandfather was being overprotective but the 'precautions' he wanted Yugi to do were a bit on the extreme side.

Emerging from the kitchen dressed in his daily clothes of a pair of overalls, a plain collared shirt, with an orange bandanna holding back gray spikes similar to Yugi's; Solomon pointed his wood spoon at his grandson. "If you notice someone following you, what do you do?"

Yugi sighed before perking up and giving his grandpa answer filled with energy, "I must not try to confront them. Instead I should seek refuge in a largely crowded area and call either Yami or Jonouchi for assistance."

"Good! Now what do you do if a vampire tries to use compulsion on you?"

"Resist it at all cost and contact either Yami or Jonouchi to come aid me in escape from the vampire," Yugi said in an all knowing tone giving his grandfather a confident grin with challenging eyes. Even if this was boring, Yugi was going try to make a game out of it.

"What about if the vampire had pinned you against a wall or in an ally?" Solomon's own challenging smile and dark violet eyes tried to rival Yugi's own passionate expression.

"I'll do all I can to escape before calling Yami for help. If he doesn't pick up I will call Jonouchi or scream for help."

" What if the bite you?"

"Scream as loud as I can to gain someone's attention, before forcing the vampire off. I'll need to call anyone as soon as possible, before calling the VP."

"And what's the Vampire Patrol's emergency number?"

"Twenty-two, sixteen," Yugi said confidently placing his hands on his hips confidently.

"What about if a vampire tries to seduce you?" Solomon's voice was dark with a playful lust, succeeding in creeping out his grandson and causing him to become embarrassed.

"T-T-That's not a part of the situations we did-discussed!" Yugi stuttered out as he backed away from the old man with a light blush on his face and his violet eyes wide with horror.

" But what if it happens, child? What would you do then?" Solomon pressed teasing his grandson.

"I-I'd decline and tell them I'm not interested."

"But what if you are interested in them?"

"I'll still decline," Yugi said firmly, standing his ground. His face was serious as he crossed his arms the best he could when wearing a puffy winter coat.

" But what if you can't?" His grandpa interrogated him, heading back into the kitchen as Yugi became flustered from his grandfather's words.

"I'll still do it!" He blurted out stubbornly before walking towards the door that concealed the stairs that lead down to the shop. Yugi slipped on his black and white tennis shoes that were settled by the door.

With his shoes protecting his feet from the cold, the human opened the door and started to head down to the shop. "Bye Grandpa! I'll be home before midnight."

"Be safe!" Yugi heard the faint sound of his grandfather's voice over his footsteps going down the wooden steps.

The human smiled when he reached the bottom before turning around to yell back up that stairs at his loving grandparent. "Don't worry, I will!"

* * *

Yugi was grateful for convenient stores, especial ones that was meant to be convenient for vampires. There was an endless amount of types of blood to choose from and it made the human feel less guilty about having not brought Atem's normal bags of blood with him.

He had completely forgotten about grabbing the last two remaining blood bags from his underwear drawer before he left his house, for Atem to drink. His grandfather had made him completely forget all about the sealed vampire's own dinner. Yugi didn't even remember about the vampire's 'food' until he had passed the convenient store the first time. It was probably the reason why his grandpa refused to let him have a pet when he was little. Yugi could be forgetful at times.

'Hrmm,' Yugi's eyebrows were tightly knitted together as he combed through the aisles to find anything that was anything like human blood and not animal. He felt like he was searching for a needle in a haystack, human blood was nowhere in sight on the store's shelves.

"Excuse me, but may I help you find whatever you are looking for?" Yugi blinked twice and lifted his gaze from a bottle of sweetened lion's blood that he had be examining, to find the source of the female's voice that had spoken up.

His violet eyes finally located a beautiful dark brown haired girl with gorgeous gold irises that resembled the sun. Yugi simple nodded at the female, having trouble finding his voice at the moment. "Uh…yeah. I was looking to see if you carried any human blood."

"We do, but it's kept in the back to avoid it from spoiling," The girl's bell like voice rang with laughter at the end of her sentence before leading Yugi towards the back of the store. " What type would you like?"

Yugi's check were dusted a light pink as he followed the playboy bunny material girl into the back of the store. If she wasn't wearing the store's unappealing uniform, Yugi was sure the girl would give even Mai a run for her money. "Something that'll help restore one's energy quickly. I have a friend that needs to regain his energy back," Yugi replied to the female fiddling with the end of his black winter coat.

"Sounds like he needs 'AB positive', one or two pints?"

"Two please." Yugi said blushing lightly as he caught another glimpse of the woman's high cheekbones and plump lips. 'Definitely hotter than Anzu.'

"Is that all you want, Hun?" The store's clerk asked with a sweet honeyed voice that sent a chill through Yugi as she pulled the blood packets from a freezer.

" I actually was thinking about buying a bottle of lion's blood to try, which do you recommend?" The human asked trying to will the warmth in his cheeks away.

The beautiful vampire was silent as she thought and lead Yugi back to the main part of the store towards the aisle Yugi had been in previously. "I think you'll like this one."

The clerk picked up a solid black bottle with a silver silhouette of a lion sitting on top of a rock. With silver writing the bottle was inscribed with 'Leo' at the top and 'Pure lion blood, feel the rush of a king.' on the bottom.

Yugi looked over the product for himself before smiling at the clerk. "I think I'll get this one, then."

"Great! Just a fair warning in advance, it'll give you a bit of a jolt when you first drink it. Just in case you're friend has never had lion's blood before."

Yugi nodded his head and followed the clerk up to the register to pay for his items. When he had finish paying for the item's Yugi was surprised how cheap the blood was. He figured it would have been more expensive than he spent at the local blood bank, but it was cheaper. The store clerk was even nice enough to warm up the blood Yugi had just bought, before placing it in a bag and wishing him a goodnight. Yugi gave her a similar farewell with a light wave before continuing his journey to Atem. He hope Atem liked lion's blood as much as he did for the blood of a human.

* * *

He was unsure for the reason why, but since the moment he had entered the sewers that acted like secret passage to Atem's chamber, Yugi's heart was pounding in his chest fast and heavily. It made human feel anxious, but Yugi was certain the feeling wasn't his. In desperation to try to slow it, Yugi pressed the bag of lukewarm blood to his chest in order to warm up. His uneasiness start to bring back his earlier thoughts that had come from Pegasus' letter, which was crumbled up in his pocket. Picking up the pace, Yugi was almost running as he made his way to his 'sleeping' friend. He didn't like this feeling. He felt…helpless, like there was nothing in this world he could do other than be Pegasus' loyal lapdog.

By the time he actually reached the room in which the entrance to pharaoh's chamber was hidden in, Yugi was out of breath. He had also confirmed that this feeling wasn't his own. No, it had to belong to the vampire that was sealed away. For the human felt the sensation grow with each step he took and peak when he came to stand in front of the secret entrance to Atem's inner chambers.

It wasn't normal. Something was, the human just knew it. Normally by this point in his visit, Yugi could feel the calmness the pharaoh's presence had naturally. But as he stood staring at the limestone wall in front of him as he tried to calm himself, he could only feel a massive discomfort of pain in his chest. It felt like he was being stabbed in the chest himself. Fearing for the worst, Yugi hurried to reveal the entrance to Atem's chamber.

The moment the slab of wall had opened enough to allow Yugi through, the human leaped over the remainder of the sinking wall and quickly closed it before rushing down the dark corridor towards Atem.

"I'm here! I'm here! Relax, calm down. I've got you dinner and desert, Pharaoh," The teenager tried to sooth the pure blood, his voice was unconvincing; filled with worry and hysteria.

When Yugi spotted Atem's sarcophagi open and the pharaoh visible just as he had left him yesterday, Yugi relaxed slightly. But his body tensed again when he spotted a black and purple mist that was seeping out of vampire's chest where the dagger was embedded. The human quickly rushed to the vampire's side, dropping the bag of warm blood at his feet as his small hands reached out to cover Atem's gruesome wound, hoping to prevent the dark mist from flowing out.

"What the hell is this?" The human cursed out of confusion as he tried to prevent the smoke like substance from escaping the Pharaoh's body.

'Release me!'

Through his own feelings, thoughts, and the feelings that the vampire was forcing onto him through compulsion; Yugi heard the voice just faintly, but clear as clean water. The two distinct words were only but a whisper to Yugi, but the stress emphasized on them by the dark voice that uttered them in his mind, made it known that they were being yell. For a long time, Yugi did not move. Unable to decide on what to do. Either he could listen to the voice or ignore it and do what he had originally plan first. But the human didn't know what either outcome would lead to.

Eventually, Yugi decided it would be safe to feed the vampire first before doing anything else. If he did release Atem, then hopefully the blood he was going to give him would keep the pureblood's bloodlust sedated for the moment.

'Release me!' The whisper in his mind was louder now, like tortured cry of help.

It pained Yugi to resist the plea as he bent down and grabbed the first bag of blood, uncapped it's top and leaned Atem up so he could get the warm substance in the man's body.

" I'll release you but first, drink. I promise, I'll try to unseal you," His voice was shaky, concerned for the other.

As much as he didn't want to be scared, the human was. His hand quivered as he squeezed blood into Atem's mouth, and the other one shook Atem lightly as it supported his torso. When Yugi got the first mouthful to be swallowed by Atem, he felt the room grow deathly cold. The extra emotions in his body left, leaving him to deal with his own. It made him even more fearful, this time with worry that something was seriously wrong with the vampire other than wanting to be set free. Not wanting his mind's un-optimistic views distract him from the task at hand, Yugi forced his mind to focus on Atem. Remembering things such as when he first discovered the vampire and how he discovered his name just a day ago, which he had yet to tell the pharaoh.

"So Pharaoh," Yugi spoke up, trying to keep his voice uplifting and calm. "I found out who you were…err are, the other day. It was a lot to take in, so it's the reason why I hadn't spoken much in my previous visit," The human admitted truthfully, he really hadn't spoken much to Atem other than tell him hello and goodbye.

"Your name is Atem. That's what my grandpa's book said and I have to say, it fits you nicely,," The human continued to speak softly as he finished off the first bag and helped Atem to swallow it before reaching for the second one. "You were a great pharaoh who brought nothing but peace to this world and only wanted it, at least, that's what the history books say. He even had a picture of you in there too, maybe that must be why he reacted so badly to your picture when I first showed it to him," Yugi bitterly laughed.

The human repeated the same process as he done with the first bag of blood, letting the red liquid fill the vampire's mouth to capacity as he talked to the other. "Also, you have a lover who still is alive and well. I'm not sure that he's too happy about the fact you're still sealed. Actually…I'm not even sure he knows you are down here. He seemed…none too happy or pleased with you, when I brought it up. I think that was just his loneliness speaking for him. But I can see where he's coming from. I would be pissed too if I had to work my ass off for three thousand years because my lover got himself killed or close to it," The human laugh as he placed the blood bag on Atem's lap and tilted the man's head up so it was easier for the blood to go down the vampire's throat. " Yami and I…have been growing closer these past few days. We don't have the best relationship, but since he claimed me as his feeder…"

Yugi went silent as he lowered Atem's head and the familiar calmness Atem normal held, washed over him. The human sighed blissfully relieved that the warm feeling was back. He was happy and because of that, he decided to give Atem the last half of the second blood bag.

"You know, I used to not like him. Not one bit. He always interrupted my and Jonouchi's conversations, snored during lectures, treated others like they were a lower beings, and how he always seemed so cold. But I think I'm understanding why he's does those things," Yugi admitted to Atem, removing the empty bag from the pharaoh's mouth and tossed it on the floor before tilting his head up and back so the blood could be swallowed.

"He's trying to distance himself from others so he doesn't get hurt again, at least, that's my hunch," Yugi spoke as he simply held Atem. The human gazed down at the slumbering vampire, his eyes softening and the human smiled at the other's peaceful face. He used to think this man was foolish for getting placed under a spell, but now Yugi had only respect for the vampire. "I may have to do the same things Yami is doing," The human looked away from Atem, his smile turning into a depressed frown. "Director Pegasus will threaten the lives of my family and friends if I don't comply with his orders," Yugi fell silent as his grip supporting the Pharaoh tightened.

"Truth is, I don't want to do this. I don't want to spy on the council or Yami. I don't want to be Yami's feeder, and I certainly don't want to be an obedient hound for the Hunter Association. But if I refuse to, if I go against the hunters, everyone I care about will be endangered. I also won't be able to get the chance to make my grandpa's dream come true. I won't be able to reform the IVHA and get rid of its corruption." Gently, Yugi lowered the handsome vampire back down into a laying position, and one of his hands grabbed one of the pharaoh's for comfort. "I just want a happy life. That's all I want. "

Releasing Atem's hand after giving it a squeeze, stood up straight. His eyes fell onto the rotting wound in Atem's chest and the human cringed at the sight. The black smoke was oozing from the spot the enchanted dagger was embedded in the King's flesh.

"I'll… I'll remove the dagger now." Yugi spoke firmly, his eye not leave the object.

Anxiety began to creep up on him, despite the calming effect the vampire had on him. Taking a deep breath, Yugi used both of his hands to gripped the hilt of the dagger enforcing Atem's felt the smoke like substance curl around his hands and holding them in place. Yugi allowed his eyes to look down at the grotesque wound on the vampire's chest. The black veins emerging from the rotting flesh and crystallized blood, were visibly pulsing. Much like an erotic heartbeat. The black and purple mist had thickened when his hands were placed upon the dagger, clouding his vision and making it difficult to breathe. If it was this bad now, what would it be like when he tried to pull this ancient weapon out of Atem?

'Release me. I must wake up. I must. Death will befall me if I do not.'

Yugi felt the mysterious words in his head calmed his anxiety, he wasn't sure how or why and nor did he question it. He had a objective to complete. He needed to remove this seal and save Atem from falling into Death's hands.

Tightening his grip on the dagger, Yugi allowed his eyes to close as he focused on calming his heartbeat. He was going to release Atem, nothing could change his mind. If he were to die after this, then oh well. Pegasus wouldn't have to worry about having to deal with him or have any means to harm his grandpa and friends. Because Yugi wouldn't be there to suffer the pain.

Opening his eyes, Yugi gave no warning as he gave a harsh jerk on the dagger and leaned pack as he pulled. Sounds of the crystallized blood cracking and blood splattering filled the room, along with Yugi's pounding heart. He had only barely pulled the dagger out of the pure blood's chest when the small melee weapon turned into ash.

With his grip suddenly gone, Yugi stumbled backwards clumsily. He backpedaled to keep his balance, his eyes were firmly closed and already expecting for his body to come into contact with the ground at any moment, but it never came. Instead, his back had bumped into the wall across from Atem's sarcophagi.

With his feet firmly planted on the ground and his balance restored, Yugi opened his eyes to look at his hands, baffled. Dark gray ash dusted his palms and blood had been splattered on the back of his hand. Looking up from them and towards Atem, Yugi's mouth opened slightly and his violet iris dilated.

The black mist that had been escaping from Atem's chest was now oozing out of the opened wound and slowly started to fill the chamber. Yugi pressed his body closer to the wall as the mist started to build even more, until is caused the entire chamber to become pitch black. Erasing all sources of light from the lite torches. It was like Yugi had closed his eyes expect, he was positive they were open.

'Thank you.'

He heard the voice, but his mind paid no attention to the comforting words or the calm feeling they emitted. His mind was in shambles. Not even the calming effect Atem held over him, could be felt through the thick mist, as Yugi panicked.

He was going to die. The human just knew it. Even as he rubbed his eyes, the darkness did not go away, instead it seemed to grow darker than black. So dark, Yugi thought he was hallucinating when he spoted a light from the direction where he had last seen Atem's body.

Yugi felt his chest becoming warm as the light started to grow intense and the darkness began to turn into a large void of nothingness. The brighter the light, the darker the darkness, and the warmer his chest grew. The trend continued what felt like years to Yugi, until the warm feeling in his chest felt like it was burning right through his skin and the light had consumed him.

The intense light made Yugi close his eyes to prevent it from damaging his retinas. Yugi reached for his chest grabbing at his jacket where the burning was the most intense. The human wish his death would come quicker than this. He couldn't stand the burning pain much more, it was going to drive him mad if didn't receive relief any time soon.

The human let out a harsh cry of pain as the light was starting to seep through his eyelids and he couldn't take the burning pain anymore. He wanted to die, he was wishing for death. If Atem was going to suck him dry, he better do it soon or Yugi was going to end this life of his before the vampire could.

Laughter.

High pitched squeals and giggles filled his ears along with a slur of words that made no sense to Yugi. Unknown voices came from all directions speaking in a language Yugi couldn't even register. The accents were like nothing he had ever heard of before. Foreign, unknown.

The high pitch voices started to morph. Becoming deeper in pitch with age. Soon they became murmurs of annoying unknown chatter that gave Yugi a headache. He tried to make out what they were saying, but it was of no use. He did, however, detect one voice out of the others that he thought sounded familiar. He focused more on that one single voice, trying to pinpoint where he knew it from.

Yugi's heart fluttered with hope when he recognized the low pitched voice. It was Yami's, he was sure of it. But it lacked his normal cold tone. His voice had traces of warm emotion, playful aloofness, and contentment. He sounded happy, which was...odd. The more he heard this style of Yami's speech in the unknown language, it made Yugi even more eager to know what was making Yami speak in such away. It was so different to him, almost as foreign as the tongues he spoke in.

Yugi couldn't keep up with time as he focused in on Yami's beautiful voice. It wasn't haunting like it was when the male spoke with Yugi, but it was kind to whomever he had been speaking with at this time. There had been a slight absence of voices when Yami's finally drifted away. But a deeper one, like the voice that had been pleading in his head earlier, soon took its place as it spoke to silence. There was dull thud in the middle of the voice's speech before gagging and coughing was echoing around Yugi. When the coughing stopped deadly silence filled Yugi's ears.

The human couldn't feel anything or even think, as he awaited in suspense. His patience was awarded when a loud ear piercing cry nearly caused him to go deaf. There was crying, apologetic murmuring before voices of anger caused the cries to be silenced and forgotten. Through the anger another loud shriek, this one not as high pitch. When the new cries started, Yugi was able to distinguish the voice as Yami once more. Surprisingly he knew the word he repeating over and over.

It was the name of his former lover.

Yami's cry grew louder as a soft voice much deeper than his own, started to mumble words that were meaningless. The Prince moaned, hiccupped, muttered unknown words in a pleading voice, wailed and howled out in pain. It seemed like Yugi's vampire's grief was never going to end when, it was abruptly silenced.

The light behind Yugi's eyelids started fade, but as it did, noisy chattering began to fill own ears. The human's head started to throb uncontrollably with the worst headache he had experienced in his seventeen years of life. As the chattering started to quiet down, Yugi could make out the words. Even more so he knew some of the voices that were speaking. It was a mixture of Yami, Mahaad, the healer Isis, Bakura, Marik, Shada, a grumpy Aknadin, and…

"I'm not doing this for you, it's a favor...for the brat you made your mate."  
His grandfather's voice softly whispered in annoyed tone. Yugi's mind was sent into confusion before another voice had spoke up and demanded his attention.

"Good morning Atem! And how are we feeling today? Can you try speaking to Yami through your bond?"  
It was his mother's soft energetic voice. Warm and caring just like the last time Yugi had heard it over the phone before…

"Ah, Pharaoh. It's good to see your condition is stabilizing. You'll be able to break this enchantment up if you continue to fight. We'll do our best fighting from this side."

His father's proud and confident tone practically was being yelled in his ears, before it faded into many more conversations between his mother and father as the spoke to Atem as if he was talking back to them.

When the voices had faded out completely and were no more, the light that had been blinding Yugi, finally disappeared. The moment he could feel his numb limbs again, the human fell to his knees.

Yugi felt like his world was crashing down on him as he struggled to open his eyes, only to have a harsh stinging sensation try and prevent him from doing so. He ignored the dull burn as he forced his eyes open to gaze at the darken room he was in. No bright light and no dark mist, just the dulled chamber that the former pharaoh's sarcophagus was in. Not even a single torch on the white limestone walls with colorful hieroglyphics, was lit.

Vaguely, Yugi remember the burning sensation that had plagued him until he was focused on the strange voices. Unzipping his black winter coat, Yugi slid it off groggily. A dull light on his chest caused Yugi to narrow his eyes as he looked down at his concealing stone. Yet again, the stupid gem had tried burn him alive. The human was about to take the precious stone off so it wouldn't try to make him combust into flames, when Yugi felt the stone pulse and send the discharge through his entire body.

Yugi allowed the bright burgundy colored stone to fall back onto his chest. He remained completely still as the pulsing continued flowing from his family's precious heirloom and echoing in his body. The odd phenomenon continued for several minutes never slowing down, but was steadily increasing in tempo with each passing second. When the pulsing became rapid, Yugi realized that the thumping feeling wasn't coming from his gem instead it was coming from a different source.

For the first time since he pulled the dagger out of the pharaoh's chest, Yugi allowed his eyes to gaze at Atem's sarcophagus directly. The stone casket was visibly throbbing with the quick and even tempo. Slowly, a tanned hand started to rise out from the two coffins. It gently came to a rest on the edge of the sarcophagi. Yugi's breath was caught in his throat as he watch Atem's other hand mimic it's twin. Finally the vampire's torso slowly began to rise from the uncomfortable stone that had been its home for the last three thousand years  
.

Violet eyes watch with pure amazement and fear as the pharaoh forced his body to move at a sloth's pace while he started to regain his ability to move. When the vampire was sitting upright, he stretched his arm above his head, popping the stiff joints that had been neglected for millenniums. The sickening snapping sounds struck fear into Yugi's very soul with each firecracker like pop. It was proof that he had possibly just woken up a beast.

Tan legs bald of hair and soft uncalloused feet swung over the edges of both sarcophagi with ease before Atem's hands helped ease himself down to the ground. The pharaoh didn't let go of the edge of the sarcophagi until his heels were firmly planted on the ground and his knees stopped wobbling from the weight of supporting their owner's body after years of neglect. It was amazing to see how the purest of purebloods manage to crawl his way out of what was his own 'grave' and stand on his two feet again. Without ever opening his eyes to see what he was doing.

Yugi watched in silence as Atem just stood there, unmoving as his eyelids twitched several times. After five long grueling minutes the delicate flaps of skin with long bold eyelashes fluttered open, blinking several times before the pharaoh's eyes were revealed.

Dulled maroon pierced into bright amethyst.

Nothing was said or done as Atem just simple gazed Yugi in the eye from the distance they were at. The human felt all fear evaporate from his being as he watch the groggy pharaoh barely be able to support himself standing. Slowly, Yugi pushed himself up off the ground to stand, he tried to compare their heights from the distance.

So far, he could tell Atem was either tall as Yami or perhaps a little taller than the current leader.

A hoarse sound that sounded like a dying cat, echoed through the room. Yugi noticed Atem's lips moving fairly slowly as he tried to force his voice to come out and form words Yugi couldn't understand. The human spotted his plastic bag from the convenient store on the ground by Atem's right foot. He smiled remembering the bottle of lion's blood he had bought for the man to enjoy. Maybe it would be easier for him to talk, if the pharaoh drank some of the liquid.

"Atem," Yugi spoke clearly with a bright smile.

Upon hearing his name, the vampire's eyes gain some brightness as he stared at Yugi with a dull expression. The human kept his smile as he pointed down by his right foot. " There's a drink in the bag if you want it."

The pharaoh tilted his head to his left in confusion, before glancing down in the direction Yugi had been referring to. Slowly Atem bent over at the waist, and outstretched his right hand towards the bag. From Yugi's point of view, Atem appeared to be fine as he leaned over to reach the bag, however, when the pharaoh expectantly fell over and landed on the floor with a sickening thud, he was proven wrong. Shock and worried for the vampire, Yugi to sprint towards the royal.

"Pharaoh are you all right?!" Yugi questioned the vampire out of concern as he fell to his knees in front of the man's face.

When Atem started to push himself up off the ground Yugi tried to help, only to have his helping hands smacked away from the royal and an annoyed red eyed glare sent in his direction. Again the pureblood spoke in unknown syllables to Yugi in his hoarse voice as he weakly pushed himself off the ground and into a cross-legged sitting position with his hands placed in his lap, the same annoyed look on his face. The pharaoh made a noise of clearing his throat before straightening his back and started to speak in his own personal language again, this time with clarity. The only thing Yugi was able to understand from his dialog was the name 'Heba'. This man's tormentor.

Yugi's face was one of bewilderment as Atem's words went in one ear, and out his other. When the human didn't say in anything in response the vampire growled as his face started to turn red from anger. Yugi would have said the look of anger on Atem's face was cute, if he wasn't a pureblood vampire that happened to be the previous ruler of the vampire nation. Another sharp slur of words came from the Pharaoh's mouth, his voice hinting at his frustrations as he made an effort to pronounce each syllable of his unknown language to Yugi.

Still unable to understand Atem, Yugi took a wild guess that the vampire could possibly be dying of thirst. He grabbed the plastic bag before pulling out the lion's blood and showing it to the pharaoh. "Are you thirsty?"

The Pharaoh gaped at Yugi in horrified astonishment before he slammed his palm into his forehead. Violent hisses escaped from Atem's lips before his gaze landed on Yugi's.

'Are you even listening to me, human? Or am I not clear enough?' Atem's deep sinful voice echoed in Yugi's mind like a beautiful haunting melody.

Yugi's mind went on lockdown when the human realized the vampire was speaking to him in his own head. His violet eyes were locked on Atem's form with fear as he tried to keep calm and reassure himself it was just a form of compulsion. If he was lucky, he would be able to find a way to block it out of his head soon.

"I can't understand a single word you speak, Pharaoh," Yugi replied softly, keeping a brave appearance as he informed the agitated vampire.

"What about now? Is my Japanese correct?" The pureblood replied in perfect Japanese and not the gibberish he had spoken earlier.

"I-It's perfect!" Yugi exclaimed in a dumbfounded tone as he leaned forward slightly, holding the blood of lion's blood close to his chest. His violet eyes were sparkling with astonishment.

"I learned it from Yami, anyway, we must leave," Atem tried to stand up on his feet, but quickly found himself falling back down to the ground. Swears were muttered as he forced himself onto his knees and he attempted to stand once more. When Yugi offered his help a second time, Atem didn't turn it down, although the human could tell the vampire was reluctant to accept it.

"Unfortunately it seems not all of the damned seal hasn't released my ability to move yet. You'll have to escort me out of the gods-forsaken place. We must hurry now," Atem spoke fluently though his mind seemed to be somewhere else.

"Okay, but why do we have leave here in such a hurry. Shouldn't we wait till the spell that sealed you has full released you from your binds?" The human suggested as he placed the taller male's arm around his shoulders, and his own arm around Atem's waist.

"No time. The council members, Yami, and the Sacred Guardians are on their way down here. Apparently I was…a bit flashy with my revival. Now go, Heba. "

Yugi did as he was told without hesitation, although confusion filled him mind to the brim. Atem had just called him Heba…why?

"My name's not Heba," Yugi corrected the vampire as he helped Atem walk out of his tomb like chamber, "It's Yugi."

"Hmm. So you're not Heba?" Yugi swore he heard disappointment in Atem's voice.

"No, I'm not Heba," The human replied, glancing Atem. "He's dead. He died almost directly after you were sealed." 'Or so my Grandfather's books say.'

The pharaoh sighed softly through his nose, and Yugi noticed the soften look of sadness on the pharaoh's face before he was caught by Atem who, glared at him though he seemed more tired than anything else.

"Yugi, was it?" The pharaoh asked stopping his slow walk with Yugi. They hadn't even made it to the exit of the dark corridor.

"Yes, what is it Pharaoh?" Yugi asked waiting on Atem to start walking again, knowing the activity must be exhausting the weaken vampire.

The pharaoh said nothing as he started to walk. It wasn't until Yugi pulled out his concealing stone to open the passage when did the vampire speak up.

"Why is it you have the stone made of my blood?"

* * *

_**AN: And we have a cliff at the end.**_

I've head to put in so many hours at work this past weekend that I felt like zombie.  
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!  
This weekend I have CPR training and a volunteer event at my local hospital.  
So yeah... busy busy busy weekend.

Thank you for the reviews, follows and faves!  
This chapter was 12,517 words long!  
Please read and reviews!

**Edited on : 10/9/16**


	6. Night VI : A Very Long Night

_**AN: Enjoy. :')**_

* * *

**Night Six: A Very Long Night. **

* * *

Yami sighed softly through his nose as he leaned back in a throne that he did not want. Why did he even have to be here? What was the point of making him sit in an uncomfortable chair for hours, while trying to fight of the boredom that was driving him mad? He hated having to attend these pointless council meetings. The heads of the ten noble families only bickered about how to obtain more blood, whose offspring would marry who, and the current events happening to the humans. None of it pertained to Yami. He could care less about humans and marriages. Although, now he had to care somewhat thanks to his newly implanted pain in the ass.

Him having to claim Yugi as his feeder, was his own stupidity; no one else's.

Yami's face scrunched up in annoyance from that brief thought as his eyes flickered around the room, hoping to find something to distract him from the monotone voice of the current noble speaking and his agitating thoughts. His red eyes scan each of the Sacred Guardians. Mahaad appeared to be sleeping, propped up against one of the dark stone walls in the room with his eyes closed. Isis, Shada and Karim were alert and attentively listening to the nobles' useless words. Lastly, Ahknadin was staring rather harshly at the newest member to join the ten noble family heads; Seto Kaiba.

Yami allowed his own eyes to land on the young noble pureblood. No doubt Ahknadin was comparing this young male to his own son, High Priest Seth. Yami leaned back in his throne, crossing his right leg over his left knee. He had to actually try to keep the smirk off his face as he recalled the late priest.

Seth had been a man of many things; a priest, a son, a cousin, a rival, a friend, a guardian, a pharaoh and… a lover. He had been the one there for Yami when his lover had been lost. He was the one who assumed the role of Pharaoh for the humans so peace in the land could be kept while Yami, assumed the throne as king of the vampire race. Although, Yami could never accept the title of king himself, Everyone had quickly made the change from Atem to Yami, despite referring him to Prince and not King. Seth had been the only person who had treated Yami as he had, before Yami was forced to take up the role of leading a race.

The leader of vampires closed his crimson eyes as he he remembered the high priest he cherished so much.

Seth was the one who helped him rebuild himself, the one who help him pick up the pieces of his soul that had been shattered when his mate had been killed. He taught the uneducated Yami how to rule and gave him a purpose for living on. It took centuries for Seth to help build Yami back up to sanity and retain some of his old self, but he had done it regardless.

One would say Seth had the patience of a saint, but Yami knew for a fact the man could hardly wait for anyone or thing. Even to this day, it still confused Yami why Seth of all people, stayed with him through the many dark years following the fall of Pharaoh Atem. However, the vampire was grateful for having him by his side. If Seth hadn't have helped him out, Yami would have fallen to a rogue status and the kingdom would have lost a third king with in a single decade.

Yami shuttered physical when he thought about becoming a vampire of rogue status. They were nothing but beings who were driven mad by their own selfish desires, blood lust, and had lost their sense of mind. Creature that were given the nickname 'rogues' because of the way they had abandoned the path of sanity and morality. They didn't give a damn about who they killed or how, as long as they got what they wanted, which was most of the time blood. It was because of their selfish behavior and cruel ways, that the vampire kingdom had lost a great man and the true heir to the throne.

Once upon a time, High Priest Seth would have been the one sitting in the very throne Yami was in. However, that been a dream that died almost two decades ago when Seth was killed. It was a second time a precious life had been ended before its peak because of his own arrogance and naivety. Yami couldn't help but wonder if had Seth lived, who would have be sitting on this throne now. Would it have been himself, Seth, or could it have even possibly been Atem? The man that Seto Kaiba resembled so much, had been the one who had found Solomon Mutou and asked him to research the seal place on the Pharaoh. It had made Yami one step closer to the lost king and his chance or peace.

Opening his eyes, Yami's gaze was directed to a dark corner to his right. There he spotted the only two people who knew of his true pain; Bakura and Marik. Ironically those two had once been Atem's enemies back when he was pharaoh and ruler of two kingdoms. Now, they were his personal 'guard', in a way. When Yami wanted something done, those two were the ones to get it done without having to make a big 'event' of it. The prince couldn't list all the people he had those two assassinate for him. They were lethal killers and surprisingly, good friends. Although at the moment they didn't appear to be either of the two. Bakura was kicked by in a chair snoring rather loudly and drooling as he slept through the meeting and Marik, was clipping his toenails and flicking them at the sleeping Bakura.

Yami's lips puckered slightly as his face became un-amused. Marik was going to sweep the estate and Bakura was going to mop it, to compensate the mess they were making.

"Your Majesty, are planning on answering us anytime soon or are you to busy sleeping on the job?" The stern voice of a leader echoed in dark conference room. Red eyes flickered to the side, to see the priecing blue eyes of Seto Kabia glaring at him.

"You impudent brat! How dare you speak in such an improper way to speak to your king!" Ahknadin bellowed out in any angry voice at Seto Kaiba.

Yami merely rolled his at the two of them and smirked at Seto Kaiba as he straightened his posture. " Ahknadin your yelling isn't necessary and perhaps I was, Kaiba. I've found myself growing more… tiresome since I have took up a feeder. Now, what was I needing to answer?"

Whispers from the leaders of the ten noble families echoed around him as the head of the Tsukumo family stood up from his chair, and turned to face Yami while resting a hand on the dark oak table all the head were seated around. "My lord, many of us were wondering about the thief that your personal guard caught on the night of your birthday celebration. What happened to him and what had he tried to steal?" Kuzuma, the head of the noble Tsukumo family, asked the leader of the vampires in a stern voice that was unwavering.

Yami's smirk vanished as he became more serious as one of the noble families asked about the unfortunate event that occurred during the celebration of his birth. He didn't want to speak about the event, but he had no choice but to speak of that night.

"The human was sent by the Hunter Association, and had attempted to steal the Millennium Puzzle which had belonged to the former king, and is one of the seven items used to keep the power of an Original tamed. He was stopped and the millennium item was recovered, but due to the human's clumsiness, the puzzle unfortunately was shattered back into its original pieces," Yami looked stressed as he told the noble purebloods about the puzzle, but his voice was casual. He rested his right elbow on an arrest of his throne and held his head with his hand. "The human was apprihended and is currently waiting trial, and I will work on restoring the Millennium Puzzle to its normal state once the situation has stettled and the Gathering has passed." Yami added, he was already making mental preparations for the first round of questions and hope to have quelled some of the noble's questions.

"It was shattered?! What will happened to the power of the original that was sealed inside? Is that the reason there has been havoc and a sudden increase of rogue vampires?" Dartz, the head of the Ironheart family, asked angrily as he bolted up from his seat. "Do you realize how much danger our families are in because you had refused to bury that damned item along with its brethren, with the Pharaoh!?"

"Dartz, I suggest-"

"Lord Ironheart, none of us are in any danger from the Millennium Puzzle breaking, or any of the other Sacred Millennium Items," Arthur Hopkinz, the head of the Hopkinz family interrupt Yami, before the royal could raise his voice at the noble.

Yami kept quieth to let the elderly pureblood speak for him. Although he was more than cabaple of explaining the Millennium Puzzle's power himself, the prince could feel his anger starting effect his state of mind. Plus, Arthur rarely spoke during a meeting and Yami was interested in how he would explain the functions of the items.

"The Millennium Puzzle was simple an object that kept the Original's power in check, and kept the Original's mind sane from the shadows. It also uses the power it absorbs from the Original to fuel the other six Millennium Items which, the Sacred Guardians uses to protect our ruler and kingdom. When the puzzle is shattered, the power inside the item is distributed into the remaining six items or returns back to the Original vampire that constructed it. Therefore the item is of no danger to us, and nor did it cause the increase of rogue vampires. I suggest you pay better attention to these meeting so that would at least have basic knowledge such things, " Arthur snapped.

"And I am told by the mouth from an old man who lost his granddaughter to the hunters? I cannot fathom how your family is even allowed to take a part on the council, after that incident. You human-hugger."

"Dartz!" Yami bellowed out, anger thick in his voice. "If you do not stop speaking such vulgar words within my presence, I will have you thrown from this meeting! Do you understand me?"

The Prince angled his head upwards slightly, his crimson eyes burning bright with an angry blood red regal gaze. Yami watched as an evil aura surrounded him as Dartz looked away and mutterer a quiet "Yes, my king," before he took his seat.

"My prince," Yami blinked turning his attention towards Isis, struggling to compose himself despite his fury. "The Millennium Items we Sacred Guardians carry, have not received any additional power since the puzzle's breaking. It may be possible the former king could have inherited the power and could have-"

"Nonsense," Yami cut her off in low tone, lacking any trace of hope. He dismissed her words with a wave of his hand. "You have heard the daily reports from High Priest Ahknadin and your Millennium Necklace is unable to see a future for the previous king. The Pharaoh is either dead or close to it."

Yami turned his head away from the female vampire to avoid seeing her appalled face. He knew very well that the words out of his mouth would spark another huge debate, however, he was confident he would win that debate. Afterall, he always won in the end.

"Dead? Then there's no hope for reviving the king then?" The head of the Fudo family, Akari Fudo, questioned Yami over the loud chattering among her fellow noble household representatives. Her question cause an eerie silence to fall upon the dark conference room. The kind wife of the late Fudo family head, Yusei Fudo, had unintentionally place the burden of great stress upon her ruler's shoulders.

Yami felt his non-beating heart grow heavy as he tried to gather a logical thought to explain why he had uttered such words to one of his guardians, and in front of the noble families too. There was no way for him to take back those words, or to redeem himself. As he thought over his word choices silently, he could hear the whispers from the ten heads of the noble pureblood families.

"Is this why he suggested that he give up his claim to the throne?"

"No, this isn't true. We all know an original cannot be killed by a mere seal. Unless that human had done something to him before he…"

"Maybe he's dying of old age?"

"Originals do not die from old age. They're immortally young."

"But if Atem does die or is dead, doesn't that make Yami the next Original? He was the last person to consume Atem's blood and is his mate."

"Fool, Yami is no longer our Pharaoh's mate. He broke their bond when he shared a kiss with the late Priest Seth! It has been voided!"

"How do we even know that our beloved Pharaoh is dead? The only one who has seen his body since Lord Seth's death is Priest Ahknadin, Pharaoh Atem's uncle."

"And Yami has not either?"

"We banned him after the Mutou Family were discovered as members from the I.V.H.A. Do you not remember that you had casted your vote for that decision too, you old fool?"

"Enough of this senseless babling, let us hear Yami's reasoning for why he believes the Pharaoh to be dead, and if this is the reason why he wishes to abandon the throne."

Yami tried to avoid all the piercing glares from the ten members that made up the royal council. He kept his head low, looking down at his lap while his hands gripped the ends of his armrest with a grip as stronger than a viper's. How could he respond to them? How would explain his reasoning to them? His normally calm and composed self was starting to be chipped away by the haunting memories of both his pharaoh and his high priest.

Atem was his former mate who had saved him when his family had crumbled, gave him a home, and a future. Atem was also the first true friend he had; they had grew up together, fell in love with each other, and had almost died together. However, Seth had prevented Yami from trying to die after Atem was sealed away. Seth had gave Yami a reason to live on after Atem, a reason to move on and hope that Atem would come back to them. But Seth was also the one who had told him it was impossible for Atem to be revived, even when the Mutou family discovered a way to undo what had been done to the Pharaoh. He was the one who told him that the hope they had, was wasted because Atem could have easily undone the seal himself, despite what the Mutou researchers had said. Seth had been the one to tell him it was time to retire Atem and his legacy, to let Atem die the death he wanted.

"I was told that the Pharaoh wished for his death and there was no possible way to unseal the Pharaoh, by High Priest Seth not long before he had passed on," Yami spoke faintly, but confidently. Although he didn't say it loudly, all listening ears in the room were able to hear his words of admitted defeat. It was as if their wounded ruler had started to revert back to the coward he was right after Seth's death.

" Yami, Seth was not in his right of mind then. We all know this, even you," Mahaad spoke up, proving that he was not asleep. "Both you and I, were Pharaoh Atem's closest friends. We know Atem, the man behind the crown. He would never wish for such a thing with the blessed life he lived."

"What you call a blessing, was a curse to him," Yami growled lowly, lifting his face so his eyes filled with remorse and anger could glare into Mahaad's confident and calm grey ones.

"Only you see it as such, Yami. You think you were the only one who suffered greatly from Atem's sealing, but you weren't! How many times must I tell you this? Seth had lost a cousin, Ahknadin a nephew, the entire vampire race lost their king, friends lost their companion, you lost a lover, and I lost a brother! For two thousand, nine-hundred and twenty years, you acted like a wounded puppy and refused to let go of him and of what had happened. You were ruled by your emotion and neglected your duties as Atem's heir. When we –" Mahaad placed his left hand over his chest and gestured to his fellow guardians, "Were forced to move on directly afterwards. We had to keep our own suffering in the dark, while continuing our duties of serving the vampire kingdom and Kemet. We'ren't given the luxary of grieving for him!"

Yami did not look away from Mahaad instead, his glare intensified as the Egyptian priest continued his outburst. "We are faithful to you as our leader, but we are also faithful to Pharaoh Atem as our friend! You may think that he is dead simply because of Ahknadin's reports, Seth's words, and the loss of your human researchers; but you cannot tell us that our friend, our king is dead off of some silly reports and a dead end! Not until his flesh has rotted away and his bones have turned into ash!"

"What proof do you have that Atem is alive then!?" Yami snapped at Mahaad when the vampire had finished his scolding. Mahaad's words were like old news to Yami. For the past seventeen years he had been hearing the same thing, in similar versions, every time Atem was brought up. Yami had heard Mahaad's annoying speech so much, he couldn't stand hearing the former king's name being uttered from that man's mouth.

"You say I believe the words of false reports to make the conclusion my mate is dead, but you're wrong Mahaad," Yami stood from the throne he sat in so he could gaze at Mahaad in the eye without looking up at the male. "Atem's blood runs through my veins, have you forgotten that? Since the death of Seth, Atem's blood has been growing stronger within my body with each passing day That is all the proof I need to confirm the Pharaoh is knocking at death's door!"

Tension filled the conference room as Yami and Mahaad glared at each other. Stormy grey eyes battled silently with the fiery glare of crimson colored hues, hoping that perhaps Yami would might understand that the hope for Atem's revival was not a lost cause.

"Mahaad, I understand your feelings, but you do not feel the pain feel each passing day when my body burns with the blood from my former lover. It is a constant reminder that he is indeed dying! For the past week I've been feeling like my body has been tossed into Hell's eternal fire. It's a sign that, that fool's death is-"

Darkness. The conference room was cloaked in pure darkness and screams of surprise came from the ten noble purebloods.

"Don't panic! The power just went out," Shada's voice boomed loudly.

Yami's eyes blinked as he gazed around the darkened room. He could make out the faint outlines of the inhabitants of the room, but it wasn't the only thing he could make out in the darkness in the windowless room.

Unlike humans, vampires had better sight in the dark since originally they had been nocturnal creatures. It was one of the few reasons why Yami was able to see the angrily swirling dark matter slither along the walls and flooring of the conference room. The pureblood felt anxiety pulse through his body as he watched the black matter come closer and closer towards him.

Shadows. They were shadows.

"Prince, please call off the shadows. There's no need for them," Karim instructed Yami as the holder of the Millennium Scales tried to calm the noble purebloods.

'S-Shadows…? How? When? I didn't…' Yami's body was frozen in place. He hadn't called for the shadows and even as he tried to call them off, the black substance didn't vanish. He couldn't wield them to go away.

"Yami, call them off! Please!" Isis' frantic voice plead with the pureblood, but was of no use and the shadows began to creep towards table of noble pureblood vampires. The Prince was far too absorbed in his state of shock to acknowledge the plea.

The only vampires able to control the shadows were the Originals and those who had inherited their powers. The Originals were the direct decedents of the first vampire, the royal family. The Muran family had once had several Original vampires within its members, but throughout the early years of the vampires existence, they had decided to only allow two Original vampires at a time in the world, to exist. It had been a decision to keep a balance of peace among the vampire race and to prevent a divide within the race. The two Originals would rule together and maintain the peace and balance of the vampire kingdom, instead of it being overpowered by so many. The only Originals considered alive though, was himself and the former king. Atem, however, was sealed away and rendered powerless and was slowly dying. Therefore, the shadows should have been listening to him unless…unless…

"PRINCE, PLEASE! I BEG OF YOU!" Isis screamed at Yami while trying to fight off the shadows with her Millennium Necklace, much like the other living Sacred Guardians were doing with their own Millennium Items.

"Useless. It's useless, I can't control them," Yami's voice was faint and cracking with fear. He couldn't control them. He couldn't fight the shadows off, he was vulnerable and at their will. His body motionless as he struggled with the sudden lack of power.

"Yami, you're the only one who is able to control the shadows. You have to stop them!" Shada confirmed for the prince, hoping that Yami would call off the assault. The shadows were starting to overpower the Sacred Guardians.

The pureblood royal closed his eyes and tried to force the shadows to stop with all the power that Atem's blood allowed him to use. Shada was right, he was the only one who could stop this. The only one who could stop the assault of the dark matter and protect the noblemen of the ten noble pureblood houses.

When Yami reopened his crimson eyes, he could see his guardians all protecting the nobles in a corner of the room, along with his two assassins. He aimed his palm towards the group, silently asking the shadows to return to him. His command was ignored and answered with a violent hiss.

The Prince's eyes widened at the sinister sounds coming from the black matter. _'Rejection? They rejected me?'_

Yami's narrowed his eyes at the blackness covering the entire room, but the areas surrounding him and the nobles. Determined to stop the darkness from consuming them all, Yami cursed to himself silently before biting the base of his thumb. The moment he tasted his own blood on the tip of his tongue, he withdrew his hand away from his mouth and aimed it at the shadows surrounding the guardians and nobles. "I order you to return to me at once!" He called out to the darkness.

The hisses of the shadows stopped, much to Yami's delight. Even more so when the darkness started to peel away from the other vampires in the conference room and slither towards their master.

**_'Blood. Blood of the master. Stolen blood of the true ruler. Return it to us!'_**

"What!?" Yami's barely had time to register what the shadows had hissed out loud, before the darkness that had once been creeping towards the nobles started to rush towards him at a rapid pace like a mass of angered snakes.

The pureblood wasn't given the chance to dodge the shadows' oncoming attack. The black matter had wrapped itself around his ankles by the time he tried to take his first step. Quickly, the shadows began to cover Yami's body. Consuming his legs, feet, torso and arms. The shadows felt like they were freezing his body. Although his body was burning with the overwhelming power from Atem's blood, the shadows did not soothe the internal flames. Instead, they cause the flames that burned Yami from the inside of his body, rage into a blazing inferno. The pain was so intense, that it actually had made the vampire gasp out like he was being suffocated as his breath was stolen from him.

"Prince!"

* * *

_"Yami, what's with that face? You look like you ate a spoiled date again. Are you worried about something? Come on, out with it!"_

That voice, the language…It couldn't be could it? No, there was no mistaking a voice with that type of concern and carefree tone. The definitely was Atem's voice from when he was younger. Back before their life had became a living Hell.

_"Leave me alone, Atem. A prince shouldn't be concerned with someone like me."_

_"Oh? But it's a prince's duty to serve his people and you Yami of the Sennen coven, are a part of my people and you are my friend. Therefore, you are at the top of my list to help. So out with it before I make you tell me!"_

Yami couldn't help but smile to himself at the fond memory. Although all he could see was a blinding light and was numb from the blazing fire inside his body, he could picture the events playing out in his own memories. It was a memory from when he had just started living with Atem in the royal house. They were both about the same age at the time, Atem only being two summers older than Yami. It was the day Yami had learned about his parents. What had truly happened to his small family.

_"Is it true Atem? Is it true what the council and Pa'rah said about my mother and father?"_

_"…I'm not sure Yami, but if it is, you're not like them. You are warm, brave, kind, and noble"_

Yami could still feel the warm hug Atem had given him for comfort. _"You're definitely not like them, Yami."_

The voice died away from his ears, although Yami could still hear the young voice from when he was a child along with Atem's faintly in his mind. The beauty from the dead language he used to speak and sometimes he still did with the Sacred Guardians, was still present. Even after years of neglect. His mind shuffled through the simple memories he shared with Atem when they were little. Silly pranks, stupid petty fights, Atem's crying face from being scared of the dark, his beautiful goofy smile, the false bravery he tried to show Yami when they got lost in the outer city of Theebes… it was all memories Yami had forgotten about through his years of grieving. They were his sweet blissful memories that contained his moments of true happiness.

It was memories of the great friend he had shared with Mahaad and many others.

Yami continued to listen to the soft voice from the long forgotten memories of the past he had created with Atem. Some of them were silly and cheerful, others sad or angry. All of them were precious to him and for the first time since Seth's death, Yami felt a sense of peace and happiness.

However, the warm fuzzy feeling he was enjoying ended quickly, when he heard Atem's voice that was deeper and more mature than the his higher-pitched childish voice. The words his former lover was speaking didn't make since and Yami couldn't place it to any of his memories. And from years of neglecting his native tongue, Yami had even forgotten some of the words his former lover was speaking.

"_As crown prince, I accept your request my Pa'rah. My duty is to the people of my land and if I have to... I will….Even if it … Very well…I…"_

The voice replying to Atem spoke gibberish, but in Yami's mind though he knew it was the commanding voice the late pharaoh prior to his lover, Atem's father. Yami closed his eyes to avoid from being blinded by the bright white light any longer, as he focused on Atem's and his father's conversation. He couldn't make sense of it and why could he hear their voices if he had no memories of being present for their talk. Just what was going on?

_"Yami, I'm having to leave Theebes for a while. Will you wait for me? "_

Yami felt something tug at his heartstrings when he heard Atem's deep voice and could understand it once more. He knew this moment better than the back of his own hand.

_"Do you have to leave? When will you be back? The day of my birth is just-"_

_"Yami, I know. I won't be able to make it back in time for it. But, I'll bring you back a gift for each day I was gone to make up or it."_

If his heart could beat, Yami knew it would be pounding harshly against his chest as he started to recall this moment from his memory. He could feel the heat of blush fresh on his cheeks, despite the burning pain in his body. It was a moment in his life he wished he could have avoid of ever living. Then perhaps, he wouldn't be living this damned life he was now.

_"No! Gifts do not matter to me, not if you're not here with me. What is the point of celebrating my life if the person who matters the most to me, cannot even be by my side so we can enjoy it together!? I'd rather chance my life and risk death by traveling with you so we can be together on my day of birth!"_

The pureblood bit his bottom lips and squeezed his eyes closed even tighter. He could still vividly remember both his own embarrassment and Atem's as the prince caught onto Yami's words.

_"E-Eh?! Yami do you… does that mean…you like me?"_

_"NO! ...I...No Atem, I don't like you…I mean…I …I do like you… just… It's just… How can I enjoy myself when not everyone is here to celebrate with me?"_

_"So… you do like me?"_

_"I…I…"_

_"It's okay Yami, I like you too."_

_"Pr-Prince Atem…"_

_"Ah ah ah, what have I said about titles Yami?"_

_"Only to use them in front of the council, but you can't be serious. Can you? You're betrothed –"_

_" I like whoever I like, not some cow who gets picked for me just because they have the finest equipment for breeding. "_

When the voice were no longer present in his ears, Yami could only wish that the memory in his mind would vanish from his focus. Confessing one's love to another had been one thing, but Atem himself took it a step forward and had forge the bond between themselves that night. They were stupid and young, but by gods was it the best birthday gift he had received, even though Yami regretted it.

The voices from his past came and went as he relived the many memories he had forged with Atem. It was starting to overwhelm Yami. It felt like he was just the normal seventeen year old from five thousand years ago. It made him wonder why he had given up on his mate, why he didn't wait on him, why he had moved on. Nothing he and Seth had was ever like what he had shared with Atem. So then, why had he –

_"Yami, I want you to meet Heba."_

Reality came crashing back to Yami, when the deep voice that belonged to Atem echoed around him.

_'No. No. No. No! Not these, please don't make me remember this, please!'_ If the flame eating away at his body would have allowed him to move, Yami would have been pulling out his hair. Just from one simple innocent sentence, Yami's living nightmare was unleashed. His mind was flooded with memories of Atem, Heba, and himself together, Heba alone, and Heba and himself together. He wished Atem would have never introduced them. He wished Atem would have never saved that filthy human during the dark war!

As he battled with himself, Yami could faintly hear them. The last words Atem spoke to him: _"Heba…is he…here? Yami… I love... –"_

Those last words. That was what haunted him. Even at the end, Atem was wondering where that devil was. He never finished his sentence either. What was he going to say? That he had loved him? That he had loved Heba or perhaps, both of them? How could Atem love Heba, after the human put a dagger made of silver through his heart? Why was he wondering where he was? Why did he look so concerned in the end? Why? Why? Why? Why?!

_" What's going on? My body….It…It won't move! …..Yami!? Damn…I can't see, just what in Ra's name is going on?!"_

Fear and confusion. It was faint, but he could hear it in Atem's voice as it forced its way into his hearing. Never in the fourteen years he and Atem spent together, had he heard such a tone of voice being used when he spoke. Just what was going on around him?

_"Yami is this a game? If so, I'm done playing it…Yami? Why won't you answer me? Can you not hear me? What about my emotions? Can you not feel them?"_

Memories from after Atem's sealing, flashed in Yami's mind. The strange feelings he felt when nothing around him could cause them. The unexplained fear, anger, loneliness, chest pain, overwhelming sadness, tiredness, longing for someone's touch, and his uncontrollable mood swings. Had they all been…his doing? Were those Atem's feeling and not his own?

_"What language are you learning? It's odd. …So it's the language your mother's family spoke? This Japanese…is a part of your native tongue?"_

_"Ew, you like that? Raw fish and rice? It's putrid. Nothing like the sweet meat of a lion."_

_"So you…we're staying here then? I still get my own bed. You'll still sleep with me at night, right?"_

_"This place, there's no scent. This bed feels like stone. Yami, are you coming to see me today?"_

_"What are you… Yami! Don't you dare! My Ieb*, do not let Seth break our bond! You must see through his deceiving ways! Yami! Please, I beg you, hear my voice just this once! Yami! YAMI-"_

Yami lost all feeling in his body. Even the inferno he was cursed with, had died out. His mind continued to fill with the voice of his former mate. Questions, comments, demands, pleas, praises, and words of comfort. All had been death to his ears yet, had been spoken through their bond as mates. He wanted to believe so badly that this was Atem's true voice, that these words from their dead language were true. But... he couldn't believe them.

A part of his mind reminded him need to pull out of this. He needed to stop this silly dreaming, this silly wishing. A small portion of Yami's consciousness continued to stress this even as it screamed or him to just stay in this dream with his lost lover. But Yami knew he couldn't stay. These words were lies, fabricated by the shadows that had attacked dreams that tried to get him to hope and long for his dead lover. Evil nothingness that were just but a figment of his wishful imagination.

_"Release me."_

_"Release me!"_

_"Release me, I must wake up, I must. Death will befall me if I do not."_

He was pleading. Did that mean he was dying? Was Atem dying… or had he already died? The pureblood noticed the blinding light his eyelids was starting to fade away. This was all just…make believe. So of course not, Atem wasn't dying. He was already dead and finished suffering. Although he had told Isis that Atem was dying, and Seth had told him Atem had wished for death… he had never believed it himself. He just could bring himself to acknowledge the Pharaoh dying. He couldn't bare to think Atem was suffering still. That's why… he wanted to give up this throne. He couldn't lead his kingdom into a brighter future if he was still clinging to a false reality where his lover never suffered. He wanted out of his rule so much, he had even dragged Yugi into this mess.

The human had looked so much like Heba, Yami thought it was the traitor when he had first laid eyes on him. But through their small conversations during the school day and learning about him through Jonouchi, Yami was quick to conclude he wasn't him. That didn't mean the council would know the difference. None of them had been there to see Heba's true colors, only the Sacred Guardians. The noble only seen the detailed drawing of that sinister human and learned to hate him through the story that was passed down to them through their family and through Yami. At that time he made up a stupid plan to get thrown out of power by claiming Yugi, but look at what good it did. The council had applaud him for being able to claim a human with such similar looks!

_"Thank you."_

Thank you? What did that mean? Was that because he admitted his weakness to accept the reality of Atem suffering? Or had Atem finally been able to move on?

_**"Now then, have you realized your misdeeds Yami?"**_

Yami's eyes opened with a jolt. His surroundings were dark, unlike the bright light that once blinded him before. He could faintly hear someone calling out to him, trying to gain his attention but was failing miserably. The pureblood's mind was preoccupied with trying to figure out what miss deed he had performed.

What misdeeds had he done? He had loved Atem, and been upset with his loss of the man. He had help from Seth with recovery and even tried to save a few human lives along the way. He had even became close with others he used to have conflicts with in the past. He couldn't think of any major misdeeds he had committed in his life other than those that centered around Heba and the Mutou Family.

**_"You're blind. Could you not see the wrong in your actions? I allowed you to relive those memories for a reason, Yami. You betrayed me."_**

_'Relived…betrayed…'_ The Prince searched his mind and memories for a point in time where he could have possibly betrayed someone. It would have been easier if the hissing of the shadows restraining him was silenced.

**_"It saddens me that you refuse to acknowledge the crime you have committed against me, and our shared disrespected us!"_**

_'Refusal to acknowledge a crime?'_ The second after Yami relied the words in his mind, he was rewarded answer. The memories he shared with Atem became a reopened wound, along with the memories of himself allowing his mate's cousin to steal a kiss from him. The moment he remembered the kiss though, his lips began to burn as if acid had been poured on to them when they were chapped. Yami growled painful and closed his eyes as he tried to endure the pain.

Pain. He felt pain for kissing someone without the permission of his mate. He felt pain because he never was forgiven for his crime and had fracture the bond with his mate. His mate that had been sealed away and cut off from life. But Yami had never felt the pain when he had kissed Seth. Why was he feeling it now as the shadows hissed at him to remember the moment he and Seth had shared a deep connection? The was a beat of silence as everything clicked into place for Yami's mind.

Atem was free.

The missing magic, the out-of-control shadows, the voice yelling at him, the burning pain throughout his body... It was all of his doing! All of it was Atem's fault!

"You selfish asshole!"

**"_Oh? I'm a selfish asshole? That's quite amusing. Please, inform you Pha'rah why this is. "_**

As he started to regain his strength, Yami tried to force himself up off the ground. He managed to get to his feet before accepting an offering of help from a bronze colored slim hand. The pain from his lips disappeared, only to be replaced by his entire body combusting into an intense inferno. The sudden pain coursing through his his body, prevented Yami from giving the eerie voice his smartass retort. Instead the painful burning sensation actually forced a soft whimper of pain from the Prince. It was quiet, too soft for a human's hearing to pick up, but undeniably most of the vampire in the conference room with him was able to hear it. At the very least the Sacred Guardians had.

"Prince? What's happening?"

"My friend, what's wrong?"

"Are you ill?"

"Yami where are you hurting? I'll heal your injury just tell me where-"

"Enough, please just leave me be," Yami forced the words out of his mouth, not caring if he sound like he was in excruciating pain.

"But –" Isis began, but Yami raised his hand to silence her.

"Isis, this is not something that can be healed with your magic," He struggled to keep his voice strong and as possible as his crimson eyes glared at the swirling shadows in the room.

No, no amount of magic could heal this pain. Not unless a true Original were to extinguish the flames that were licking at his internal organs. Never had he given thought to him being on this side of Atem's anger. To think just having a simple kiss _stolen_ from him, to have allowed himself to move on and commit one small sin with another, was able to make the pharaoh this pissed of. It was just stupid and petty. The dead being angry at the dead, Atem should be taking his anger out on his cousin not him.

**_"You allowed it to happen Yami. You fell for his tricks. It wasn't stolen, you gave it away."_**

_'Enough. It doesn't matter anymore Atem, Seth is dead! '_ Yami hiss in his mind at the former leader of the vampire race. His body trembled with pain as the flames started to use the blood flowing freely in his veins as fuel. These shadows were his mate's Ka* seeking revenge on him. They had to be. The way the Sacred Guardians were fawning of their ill prince was proof enough. Their ears were deaf to the angry voice of their former king, to the shadows.

**_"Hmph, dead eh? Who stole my kill from me then?"_**

The angry hissing of the shadows started to give way and Yami could identify some of Atem's true voice. Oddly enough it was making some of Yami anger towards the man ebb way. The voice was almost comforting even.

_'Rouge vampires. He was killed by them,'_ Yami informed the shadows and closed his eyes. He couldn't take it much more; this silent suffering. He couldn't afford to let the leaders of every noble pureblood family see him cower in pain. He could never show them his weak side. Atem knew this too, but damn, why'd did he have to try to get him to break in front of the nobles. 'Are you going to kill me?'

**_"Tempting, but no. I plan on making you suffer for your ignorance. I'll make you submit and beg for forgiveness. I will reclaim my throne which you have stolen, in front of all and show them how weak you truly are. "_**

_'I didn't take it from you – '_

Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-

Yami quickly moved away from the Sacred Guardians stumbling as he backed away. His hands quickly went to his chest. His right hand digging into the flesh just above the area his heart was located in while his left one, tried to muff the deadly sound.

Ba-dum. Ba-dum...Ba-dum. Ba-dum... Ba-dum. Ba-dum.

"That...liar. H-He's … is trying to kill me."

His words were not rushed nor did he have a sense of panic in his tone he spoke. It was merely a statement of realization. Although it made sense to Yami, it confused the rest of the vampiress in the room. It caused panic for the Sacred Guardians. To hear such words escape from the Prince's mouth, was like observing his death. Even more so, when they had to witness Yami clawing at his own heart with his fingernails.

"Stop this madness Yami. No one is trying to kill you," Mahaad was the first to speak as he took ahold of Yami's hands and forced them away from the pureblood's chest. "If someone is, you need to tell us and stop making such a fuss in front of the nobles," He added in a hushed whisper.

"Hey Bakura, are watching this too? I think the Prince has lost it again. What do you think?" Marik's taunting voice asked his partner-in-crime as he leaned back in his chair and watched Yami's downfall with a sinister smile.

"Nah, he's not lost it yet. He's taking his sweet time with this one. Kingy wants to make em' suffer bad. Didn't you hear it?" Bakura added emphasis to the person of subject with the purpose of catching the attention of the nobles and the guardians.

"So that was his then? The Prince's heart?"Karim spoke with true shock in his voice.

" Mhmm, and what a beautiful sound it was. Oh? Will you listen to that, looks like Pharaoh decide playtime was over. He's even made it have a steady beat."

"Oh the sweet agony the prince must be in!" Marik kackled.

"What are you two idiots babbling over?" The cold tone of Seto Kaiba interrupted the taunting conversation the two assassins were having. His face showing no amusement nor any emotions other than announce. "If you two know what is going on here then please, enlighten us. Otherwise, quit your useless chatter."

Growling Bakura turned his head away, while Marik silent debated if it was worth killing the Kaiba family's head. Apparently it wasn't worth the energy.

"You fools have failed to notice these shadows, aren't controlled by Yami. If Yami couldn't tame them, then who else is the one person in this world who could?" The albino vampire leaned back in his chair and looked over his shoulder to watch the reactions from person to person.

Eyes varying all shapes, sizes and colors widened slowly as the realization slowly settled in.

"Impossible." Bakura frowned when it wasn't Seto's surprised voice that answered him back first. Instead it was Ahknadin, the Guardian who had been in charge of taking care of Atem.

"Oh? And why is that?" Marik question with a grin that could rival a demon's.

"He's dead! That child is dead. I killed him five years ago!" Ahknadin let his tongue slip and immediately, all eyes went to him. Even Yami's fearful crimson orbs.

"Opps, looks like the cat's out of the bag Bakura!"Marik said in an innocent joking tone as he smiled at the 'last' Muran.

Even through his pain and suffering Yami managed to conjure what little strength he could, to pull away from Mahaad's grip and aim his fierce angry glare at the eldest of the Sacred Guardians as stood on his own drentched in a sweat.

"You…You…Tried to kill him? Your own flesh and blood?!" His voice was one of disbelief as he bared his fangs. "Ahknadin!"

**_"So you didn't know of this? Interesting. "_**

There was soft chuckle from the voice of the shadows and with it, Yami's un-beating heart started to beat more pronounced until it was racing.

The pureblood dropped to his knees, unable to support himself as his heart thudded violent in its race. His vision blurred as he watched Atem's uncle run from the room. The fire within his body had slowly died away, but Yami's stomach was twisting into knots. The pureblood felt like if he even attempted to move any move his muscles, he would only collapse from the effort. With the sickening feeling in his stomach and his aching muscles, it wasn't hard to piece together Atem's motive for torturing him with this amount of shadow magic. The Original was forcing Yami to participate in a blood removal ritual.

_**"Now, give me back my blood!"**_

Yami, wasn't going to try and stop Atem as his heart started beat even faster and caused more pain to explode from his chest. Yami couldn't stop the Pharaoh even if wanted to, not this far into the removal process. And even if he could, he wouldn't.

Atem had allowed Yami to drink from him, just like he had allowed Atem to partake in his own blood on occasions. It had been a sign of their love for each other, but now that love had died with Atem. It only made sense that Yami gave back the blood that belong to Atem. But was it really necessary for the Original to take it from him in front of the nobles? That was a silly question he already knew the answer to. Of course it was, it would mark the end of Yami's rein and the resumption of Atem's, unless the other was blind to see there were others in the room.

The pureblood felt a sharp cramping pain in his lower abdomen that forced him to use both his hands and knees to support himself. He could feel the bile rising in his throat although, Yami knew it wasn't the gastric acid. It was something entirely different. He could already taste the sweet bitterness in his mouth. It was mixture of his own bitter blood and Atem's sweet and spicy elixir.

The vampire swallowed, hoping to keep the substance down for a little longer so he could get a few words out. "Marik, Bakura; I order you to capture Ahknadin and escort him to the prison cells. Alive. "

He watch the two smile at him happily then at each other, before running off. May the gods have mercy on Ahknadin's soul when Bakura and Marik had their way with the man. Though Yami knew they weren't going to spare the man. He'll just have to wait to give the man his punishment, when they would meet in Hell.

Just after Bakura and Mairk had vanished from his sight, Yami gagged and heaved as he choked on the blood that was being forced from his body. His crimson eyes became watery as a natural reaction from his dry heaving. The atmosphere around him grew colder as his skin became clammy. The nauseous feeling that overpowered his body and senses had caused all of Yami's thoughts about his 'image' to exit the building.

He didn't care if he would look weak. He didn't care if one of the ten leaders from the pureblood families looked down at him because of this. Sometimes even the strongest of men fall. He had seen Atem countless of times in his weakest moments, the same with Seth and some of the members within the Sacred Guardians. Yami was not expectation to this.

Yami felt his stomach give and unexpected lurch, the final push his body needed to vomit up the giant quantity of blood that was Atem's.

Sweat dripped from his forehead as he panted harshly in attempt to catch his breath, when the thick burgundy liquid finally had ceased to be regurgitated. The rapid pulsing of his undead heart slowed to a halt and allowed some of Yami bodily aches to ease away. After using one of his hands to wipe at his eyes, Yami watched as the blood he had just puked up along with the shadows in the room, started to evaporate. It disgusted him knowing that the blood he had just vomited was going to be possibly re-digested by Atem if the man was truly alive. His stomach gave another threatening lurch.

He hoped Atem wasn't going to drink that. If he did, that man's standards would have fallen even lower than a rogue's.A thought crossed his mind after he compared his former mate to a rogue vampire. Perhaps that was the reasoning behind this attack. It was very well possible Atem had lost his reasoning and had fallen to the demonic state.

"Prince!" The concerned voices of the Sacred Guardians and some nobles flooded Yami's eardrums. He leaned back, so he was sitting in a seiza* type style. He ran his left hand through his hair, pulling his bangs away from his face so he could enjoy the coolness that washed over his exhausted body. He made no protest as both Isis and Mahaad searched his body and Ba* for any wounds. Their cooling hands with heka* flowing freely from them, ebbed away his fever and slowly replenished his strength.

When the two were done, they both looked at him with questioning eyes, which Yami sighed softly at. He could feel the awaiting stares of the nobles glaring at him from all directions.

"Before you ask any questions –" Yami started before pausing to clear his throat. " I want to confirm something first. "

"Which is?" The head of the Yuki family asked in disapproving voice.

"I wish to see the late pharaoh's sealed body. Naturally, the ten nobles plus the guardians will accompany me." Yami replied with a calm voice, never lowering or raising his volume.

"Then let us take a vote," Arthur Hopkinz declared, "All in favor of letting Yami see Atem, say 'Aye'."

Out of ten nobles leaders, nine called out a soft "Aye", allowing Yami to go visit the body of the sealed king.

Yami sighed through his nose as he eased himself to stand on his feet. This was going to be a long evening. A _very_ long evening._  
_

* * *

Atem's mind was obviously somewhere else that much, was clear to Yugi. Had it been because of the seal's magic or if the vampire had gone into shock, the human couldn't pinpoint.

Yugi had noticed that as he helped the vampire walk along the dark streets of Domino City towards his home, Atem wasn't paying him even the slightest attention. It wasn't just now Yugi was noticing the absence of his companion's mind. He had come to that conclusion just before the former king of the vampires had asked him of his concealing stone.

Atem was acting very strange in Yugi's opinion, of course, he had no right to judge someone which he only knew stories and the sleeping form of. Still, Atem had taken his revival in stride, like he had predicted it or already knew what the world he wakening in to would be like. Perhaps now Atem was absorbing the world around and what had happened to him nearly three-thousand years ago. Maybe he hadn't noticed it at first, the fact that he had missed out on witnessing millenniums with his lover.

Yugi's violet eyes glance to the left, to the Pharaoh. Why did he even unseal this vampire in the first place? He had no connections to Atem that he knew of. He should have killed this man the moment he saw him, yet, he didn't. Instead, Yugi gave him his live back while risking his own. He was going to be a vampire hunter! Well he had been close to becoming one before…

Yugi shook his head not wanting to remember anything involving Yami biting or the letter which, was still crumbled up in his winter coat that Atem was now wearing. Yugi had resumed looking in the direction he was traveling when he remembered the bulk apparel item. He nearly left his coat there when he Atem was escaping and glad he didn't. The temperature had dropped and the wind had picked up a nasty chill. He doubted he could have found any winter clothing in the cluttered mess of offerings to the vampire, which was why Yugi was now freezing instead of Atem. Sometimes the human wondered if his selflessness traits were a curse instead of a blessing.

The human let out a sigh of relief when he spotted the familiar dim glow of the illuminating word 'GAME' above the entrance of his family's game shop. Just in time too, he thought his upper body was going to freeze. His yellow longsleeved shirt was doing little to trap in his body heat, however, his shoes and jogging pants were doing a fantastic job of it.

"Where are we?" Atem's deep voice raspy from years of neglect, questioned Yugi as the human forced his way and the vampire through the back entrance of the game shop.

"We're at my house. Where else could I take a half dead vampire?" Yugi replied in a casual tone as he released Atem, letting the vampire support himself as he closed and locked the door back.

"Your home…it looks –"

"Odd? Strange? Different?" Yugi finished for Atem with a smile as he towed the man towards the stairs that would lead the two up to living part of the home. Just as Yugi placed his foot on the first step, he paused in fear. How the heck was he supposed to explain this to his awaiting grandfather upstairs?

" Yes, but I was going to say like a shop of some sort. I've seen some like this in Yami's memories –"

"I'm doomed," Yugi interrupted Atem once more unknowingly as his body almost quivered with fear.

"Would you stop that?!" Atem snapped in an irritated tone. "Human have you forgotten that I am rightful ruler of the vampire race? I will be forced to punish you for your disrespecting ways if you do not stop interrupting my speech! Do you understand me, human?"

"I understand you, but…" Yugi trailed off fear thick in his voice, " Grandpa is going to put me through Hell for this."

"I will personally put you in Hell if that is what it will take to get you to respect my title, Human!"

"No, no, no, no, " Yugi turned to face the Pharaoh, not even trying to hide his fear. "You don't get it, Pharaoh. My grandpa he's…he's my guardian…my parent so to speak. Atem-I mean Pharaoh, imagine the worse punishment your father did to you when you were young and multiply that by ten." His distressed look seem to cause Atem joy from how he smirked, but it soon faded with Yugi's words.

"You're grandfather punishes you worse than ten lashes with a whip?"

"Possibly although, I haven't been spanked since I was thirteen," Yugi replied and shook his head. "However this, will warrant a more severe punishment."

"Like lashes on your chest and having to treat them yourself?" Atem tilted his head to his left in confusion.

"W-What!? No, oh God no. My grandpa would never do something like that! Not even to a vampire!" Yugi blurted out a little too loudly.

Atem narrowed his eyes and straightened his head to its normal angle. His bright fiery red eyes burned with unverbalized question as he watched Yugi. " You said 'possibly' earlier. Is not what being 'spanked' means?"

"No, that's when your hand makes contact with another person's rump. Why on Earth would you –" Yugi's hand collided with his forehead as he realized just exactly 'who' he was speaking with. A vampire from the ancient times.

"Never mind," The human sighed heavily, dreading his grandfather's reaction to when he came back with no Christmas presents and instead, the vampire king. He was so grounded.

Yugi started to climb the steps ascending towards his actual home. When he was half way up, he noticed the absence of footsteps behind him. Looking over his shoulder, Yugi spotted Atem standing still on the floor with one foot on the first step of the stairs. The vampire dawned an awaiting look, as if he expecting something for the human to say or do. The look itself was all the reminder Yugi needed before he was laughing to himself at his foolishness. He had forgten about the 'politeness' of vampires. Even when they were kings of dead civilization, the rule still applied. How funny.

"I'm sorry," Yugi had to muffle his silent snickering and try to hide his small quivering smile. "You can come in, Atem. Just try not to cause too much trouble."

Those simple words were all the vampire needed to beginning his ascending light steps up the stairs behind Yugi. "It is Pharaoh Atem, your majesty or my king, to you."

Yugi released another sigh and nodded his head. "Yes, yes. However Pharaoh," Yugi started pausing at the closed door at the top of the stairs. "You do realize you're no longer…" Yugi didn't finish. He didn't want to offend the royal pureblood when he was only trying to help the man out. Again he found himself questioning why he was doing that, but the question brushed off when the same calming feeling he had been practically begging for earlier in the night, washed over him.

"I'm aware, " Atem's voice was even and calm, not even a trace of any negative or positive emotion lingered in his tone. "You seem to know who I am so therefore, I expect you to still use my titles. Seeing how I know nothing of you other than you're a human who resembles a dead human and carries a stone created from my blood. By the way, " Atem narrowed those fierce eyes of his at Yugi. " Have you answered my question yet?"

So he really had been out of it earlier. "I did, but you didn't seem to be… paying attention at the time."

"I was –" Atem seem to cut himself off quickly before releasing a heavy sigh, along with some pent up tension.

"Correct, I wasn't paying attention. I was dealing with a problem, one that need my undivided attention the moment I was able to be released from my captivity. But what was your answer, Heb-Yugi?"

Yugi didn't question the vampire he explained himself, nor did he pay attention to the vampire's slight mistake concerning his name. "My reply earlier was that I wasn't aware that my concealing stone was created from you blood," Yugi used a hand to lift said gem off his neck and gaze down at it with a fond smile. I knew it was made from the blood of a vampire who wanted to protect a human, but I had no idea it was your blood. It's kind of ironic don't you think? "

Atem eyes seemed to glaze over, his fiery blood red eyes started to cool and dull into to a deep maroon. Yugi watched in bewilderment before Atem looked at him with an emotionless poker face that could rival Yami's. "It is, but that doesn't explain why you have it," The vampire pointed out in an uninteresting voice.

Yugi looked away, not wanting to explain a second time, but had no choice in the matter. "It…It came into my possession after my father died. It's an heirloom that's been passed down in my family for generations. Only the –"

"Yugi? Is that you? " The human groaned when his grandfather's voice spoke over his own. No use in trying to buy time now. "Hurry up, your dinner will go bad. Also, is that someone with you?"

The human teen winced and felt the prickling of fear claw its way back to the surface of his mind. He gave a look to the Pharaoh, a serious stare he normally only used when he went out on missions for the I.V.H.A. "Not a word, not until I explain myself."

He received a last nodded from Atem, "I shall be quiet then."

With an appreciating smile Yugi opened the door to the apartment above the Kame Game shop. " Yes Grandpa, it's me. I brought a friend home, I hope it isn't too much trouble."

* * *

Silence. Thick, heavy and complete silence that has lasted for the past hour with look that could kill.

His grandpa was pissed, beyond pissed. Yugi was scared to the point he thought he might wet himself, and Atem was…well he was being the calm and collective pharaoh he was brought up to be. Not showing announce of care, empathy or regret. Sad thing was, Yugi had known why too. This wasn't his problem it was the human's, he just had to sit back and watch the show.

None of this was in Yugi's favor and Atem staying true to his word and keeping quiet, wasn't going to get him anywhere. At least he had survived the worst of it or so, Yugi thought.

At first, Solomon was friendly welcoming Yugi and his 'friend' with a warmth and offered them food and comfort from the cold. The moment Solomon's darken version of Yugi's eyes landed on Atem's recovering frame, he had fell eerily quiet before the menacing look of the long dormant vampire hunter revealed itself. It was the first time Yugi had seen such a nasty and unexplainable expression on his grandfather's face. It was a look that was on most of the faces of killers when a murder was about to be committed out of anger. It had instantly made Yugi wished Atem had killed him, rather than confuse him for the dead Heba and acted like a newborn baby deer trying to walk.

Nothing had been said since his grandfather's greeting. Not even as he had silently beckoned his grandson and the oddly obedient observing vampire to follow him into the living room. Yugi knew his grandpa was waiting for him to explain himself, but the human couldn't vocalize his thoughts into words. Not with the death glare he was receiving from his only living relative and a deadly unstable vampire sitting next to him on the couch to his left. There was nothing to explain other than the 'why' he had done it and even Yugi himself, wasn't quite sure why he even had. Maybe it was some trait or desire he had adopted from his deceased parents.

"I hope you realize the situation you're in, the both of you," His grandfather's fierce voice finally spoke up, cutting the thick tension in the room with words and only bring birth to even more tension.

" I-I do Grandpa –"

"No you do not, young man," Solomon words caused Yugi to press back into the couch and cower away like a defenseless puppy. "If you had and knowledge of what your actions, you would have left that man underneath the Muran Estate. Did you even consider the consequences you and I would be forced with, Yugi Mutou? Because of ignorance and failure to listen to me when I TOLD you to not go near this man anymore, we could be facing our deaths! Not only have you force my well being into this mess of yours, you have also put Jonouchi's, Mailk's, Ryou's and Atem's lives on the line. Are you aware what is going to happen when Yami finds out that you released Atem and brought him here? No better yet, the I.V.H.A.?"

Yugi kept silent, letting the words of his grandfather sink in as he curled his fist in his lap and looked at them with a regretful gaze.

"Muran Estate? What place is that? Why does it hold the name of my coven?"

"I will answer your questions later, Pharaoh. For now, please remain quiet while I enlighten you and my disobedient grandson on our current situation," Solomon's voice lost some of its edge when he spoke to Atem.

"Very well," Yugi looked up to see Atem wearing an uninteresting look on his face as he crossed his left leg over his right knee and his arms were folded over his chest. "Continue with you lecture, Solomon."

Yugi wasn't sure how to react to the fact that Atem knew his grandfather's name without an introduction. Then again, Yugi didn't know who or even why his grandfather knew about Atem. Maybe it had to do with some about when he heard his voice when he had released Atem from his seal.

"Disregarding that brief interruption, do you not realize that we now have to hide the Pharaoh away until the seal has worn off? That time varies for each vampire, you know this Yugi. The association had trained you well, you just fail to apply that knowledge to the situations in your life."

"I forgot about the relapse time until after I pulled the dagger out, Grandpa." Yugi tried to defend, however, it only made his sound guiltier.

"I don't care Yugi, " His grandfather firmly stated. "The fact still remains. We now have to hide this fool in our home for what could be hours, days, months and even perhaps, years. I could just have him tossed out onto the streets for the fresh pickings of any patrolling vampire or hunter, but," Yugi heard his grandfather sigh through his nose followed by a short pause. "If the fool goes out and gets himself killed before Yami has even seen his face, then you releasing him was in vain. Someone needs to clear up the boy's mind."

"Excuse me?" Atem spoke up, his dark maroon eyes glaring at Solomon as if the elder had offended him. "I am not Yami's caretaker, " The pharaoh stressed sounding annoyed. "He clearly can handle himself and make decisions on his own. Regardless of anyone's reasoning. Mine included."

"I never implied you were his caretaker. The prince is a grown man, he can take of himself. After all, he is a fully developed vampire unlike some," Yugi immediately picked up on his grandfather's taunting. The same taunting the old man did when he first had learned his grandson had lost his virginity last year.

"Grandpa I don't think –"

"Do not speak of that so lightly," Atem's voice was dark and commanding, it was a voice of a commanding general better yet, a Pharaoh. "You may have been a man to help weaken my seal, but your discoveries from it should be kept silent. Not even Yami knows of some of the things you discovered in your research," Yugi watched as Atem's cool composure slowly started to crumble underneath his fake regal mask. The man's fist coiled tightly then released over and over again. His eyes were calculating as if there was a way out of this situation or how to turn it back into his favor. "I was young, reckless, and paranoid back then, but I do not need the world to know that. It would be wise if you would just be silent on that subject."

"So you are planning on succeeding your father," Solomon stated, not questioned as he stood up from his seat on the couch in front of Atem and Yugi. The elderly man folded his hands behind his back. "When do you plan on accepting your title as the true Original?"

Yugi's heart skipped a beat when he heard the words spill out of his grandfather's mouth. An Original, a vampire that is directly related to the first vampire born into the world. The leech of all leeches, the king of all monsters; a true demon from the deepest pits of Hell.

The human teenager scooted to the far side of the couch, away from his tan doppelganger. He really did awaken a monster and unshackle it from its binds. Any negative repercussions from Atem's actions were now going to be sins Yugi had to bare. How many lives were going to be lost because of his act of selflessness? How many lives were going to be up rooted because he pitied a vampire?

Tears of terror prickled in Yugi's eyes. He was going to be a murderer. He, a failed excuse of a vampire hunter, was going to be the reason of so much bloodshed and hatred.

A sniffle from Yugi was all that was need to draw the unwanted attention of both Atem and his grandfather. The human teen could only simply stare at Atem with his amethyst eyes in pure fear. His voice refused to work the way he wanted it. His body was shaking instead of moving to cover his face and tears, no matter how much he tried to keep them from appearing, they kept falling and streaming over his cheeks in warm rivers.

"Yugi, what is wrong with you?" Solomon's worried voice asked calmly as he moved to his grandchild's side and tried to comfort him. When he reach his tender loving wrinkled hand out towards Yugi, the boy flinched away to avoid the touch.

" Monster…I-I …I-I've unle-leashed a…a…"

"Monster," Atem finished Yugi's stuttering and choked up mess of a sentence with one calm word. When Yugi looked at Atem, really looked at him, he notice his features had soften and made the man almost look sympathetic and apologetic. "Yes Yugi, you unleashed a monster into this world. But what truly makes me this monster you speak of?" Yugi's eyes never left Atem's form as the vampire's face turned away to look down at his own hands. "Is it my fangs? Is it the blood that runs in my veins? Is it my desire to protect my mate from any more pain? Is it my desire to protect my people? Or is it my image? Does the appearance of a Pharaoh scare humans that badly? Enough to cast away all morals to send me out of this world, even if it meant taking their own life and a life of a loved one? Humans…your kind is such a 'funny' race."

Atem's words had been soft, a drastic change to his and his Grandfather's sharp words to each other. Slowly Yugi began to calm down and as he did, he could catch the traces of the helpless and loneliness feeling from when he went to visit the vampire. When his body stopped shaking, Yugi felt his grandfather pull him into a warm embrace, something he hadn't done since Yugi's parents had died.

"Yugi, my grandchild, you didn't unleash a monster. The pharaoh… He's gentle towards our kind. You've read about him. He also hasn't come of age as a vampire as of yet, am I right Atem?" Yugi's Grandfather's kind voice was soft again, it was normal.

Atem looked away shyly as if the old man had complimented him too much. " Gentle is not… the word I prefer to be use for describing me. I was just maintaining the peace my father had wished for between the two races. And… I have now, but until the seal's heka* has worn away, I'm unable to become a 'mature' vampire. "

Fear still linger in his being, but Yugi did open up to the vampire who also appeared to be hurting. The human sniffed again, wiping his face free from his tears and any stray mucus drooling from his nose. "So you haven't lost your baby fangs, yet?"

Yugi heard his grandfather's rusty warm laughter in his ear and his own soft giggles started up when Atem turned to face him, eyes wide and a read face to match them. "S-S-Shimon said it was different for everyone! It has been a very long time since I've properly fed from a human and I only did it twice in my lifetime before I was sealed! So I haven't had the chance to lose them!"

Yugi's giggles turned into full blown laughs at the sight of the most powerful vampire being embarrassed. It made him wish to forget Atem was the cruel creature he was.

"It's okay Pharaoh," Yugi's grandfather started off. "The females in this era fawn over men with small fangs."

"S-Stop that! It is not funny," The original vampire ordered, not liking the playful taunting, his face a bright shade of red like his vivid eyes.

"Okay, Pharaoh," Yugi said once he had calmed his laughter and wiggled out of his grandfather's arms.

His purple hues were joyful though his fear was still present but as the landed on the black bulky winter jacket Atem wore, he began to wonder why the Pharaoh hadn't taken the jacket that was obviously too small for him, off.

"Aren't you going to take the coat off?" Yugi asked as he slid closer to Atem by just a hair. "It's warm in the house, you don't need to give yourself a heat stroke."

"I was raised in a desert and lived every day under the watchful eyes of Ra. A piece of clothing isn't going to give me a heatstroke. Also, I'd rather not disturb you with the sight of my rotting flesh healing," Atem replied bluntly as he hugged the jacket tighter around himself. "I'm doing my best to hide the stench of it so no 'unwanted' guests will appear on your doorstep."

Yugi gave a nod to Atem and a bright smile. "Okay then," The human respected the fact the vampire before him was trying not to scare him or his grandfather. However, Yugi wished his grandpa would have too.

"You have a wound from that seal? Than that just won't do," Solomon spoke up, disapproving Atem's method of healing. "We're going to treat it so it can heal properly and maybe, you'll be lucky if it doesn't scar. Letting it heal up after years of sitting and rotting isn't the brightest idea. It'll get infected, if it isn't already, " The old man lectured the former king before grabbing his wrist and pulling him off the couch. "You're getting a proper bath, disinfectant and wound dressing. It won't take long."

Yugi watched as Atem followed behind his grandfather like a lost duckling. It was odd seeing the man who ruled over a race and a nation be pushed around and not even retaliate. Maybe the king was just too tired to fight back.

Yugi pushed himself off the couch and headed towards the kitchen to warm up his dinner. Just as he stuck the plate of food his grandpa had fixed him to nuke it, their house phone began to ring.

_'I wonder who that could be. Probably Jou with a question about his homework.'_ Without hesitating Yugi went to the answer the wireless phone stationed in the living room. Just as the phone was on the third ring, he picked it up and pressed it to his ear to greet whomever was on the opposite end.

"Hello?"

"Yugi, I see you made it home from school without a problem," Yugi drew in a sharp breath. It was Yami's low voice echoing in his ears although, compared to Atem's he sounded nothing more than a child pretending to be an adult.

"Yes I did. Why are you calling this late?" The human casually asked. Although Yugi silently questioned how the vampire had even received his home phone number.

" I need to feed from you. Be free tomorrow evening."

"Yami, I have plans tomorrow, " Yugi quickly blabbered out, the painful memory from the last time Yami bit him was scorched into his mind. He didn't want to suffer it a second time. "Can you schedule it later?"

"Cancel them. I don't want you going out alone."

"Who said I was going alone?" Yugi snappily replied, not like how Yami was trying to seize control of his life.

"I know for a fact you're not going with any of your friends, Human. Bakura and Marik have both their feeders on lock down and Jonouchi will be with Seto doing a task for me."

"I'm going with…" Yugi trailed off. Damn, who was there to tell Yami that he was going without being caught in a lie.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT STUFF? GET THAT AWAY FROM ME –" CRASH!

"Yugi what's going on? Are you safe?" Yami's tone almost sounded concerned rather than panicked. Almost.

"I DO NOT CARE SOLOMON. IT BURNS WORSE THAN HELL'S FLAMES!" Ah. So his grandfather had introduced the glory of rubbing alcohol to their guest.

"Yugi, I'm coming over –"

"No, no. It's fine, my cousin is just trying to get away from my grandpa," Yugi laughed nervously, trying to make an excuse for the loud background noise. "Like I was saying, I'm going out tomorrow with my cousin and Christmas shopping. We've had this planned an I'm not –" Yugi winced and paused as another crash from upstairs interrupted him, " Not going to cancel my plans."

"It's not safe. There's…" Yami seemed reluctant to tell him something.

"There's? " Yugi repeated before checking his phone in case the I.V.H.A. sent out a warning about any rogues. Nothing.

Silence, there was shuffling on the other side of the phone line. "Yami?" Yugi called out slightly, thinking the vampire had hung up on him.

"It's Isis, Yugi," The familiar female voice came drifting over the phone line.

"Oh, hello –"

"I'm only saying this because it is for the Prince, but Yugi, tomorrow you need to come feed him when you get the chance. He's very low on his own blood and needs the nutrients."

Yugi blinked confused. 'He's low on blood?' "Okay I understand, but… what happened to him?"

Again silence was his answer before Isis sighed. "He was attacked. That's all I can tell you. We will speak more about it tomorrow. Good evening." – Click!

"Ah wai– She hung up…" Yugi pouted slightly, before placing the phone down and went to grab his food from the warm microwave.

"Come back here you dirty vampire! Your wounds need to be cleaned!"

"No! You're crazy! Get away from me, your Pharaoh orders you!"

The teenaged human sighed as he sat down at the dining table with his food and began to eat. The chaos upstairs was still going on by the time he had finished and cleaned his dishes.

"This is going to be a long night. A very long night," Yugi grumbled before heading upstairs to try and end his grandfather's and Atem's roughhousing before one of them ended up getting hurt.

* * *

_**An: **_One hell of a chapter. I had to cut it some, so the ending is a bit awkward. It went from 19,000 words to 14,000. I added the part I cut to the next chapter. It just semed to flow better there.

Sorry that I procrastinated on this update. Christmas time is a busy time for me.

Next chapter is a very fun one, and it's one of my favorites in part one of the story. =w=

Thank you for the lovely reviews. They are beautiful Also the favorites and follows make my happy too.

Please continue to R&amp;R :')

**Edited on: OCT. 20, 2016.**

* * *

Kemet: Ancient Egypt.

Ibe; Ancient Egyptian for heart, the Egyptians believed that life revolved around the heart.

Heka; Ancient Egyptian for Magic.


	7. Night VII : Panic At The Mall

**WARNING;  Chapter contains character nudity, gore, and typos.**

* * *

**Night Seven : Panic At The Mall**

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The annoying dull sound of his alarm clock's digital siren going off, was the first thing Yugi thought about as he was rudely yanked from his slumber. The human groaned as he turned his face into his pillow and nuzzled the plush item, while he felt around for his pesky alarm clock. His hand slapped around on his nightstand like a fish out of water before he finally achieved his goal by hitting the snooze button after several failed attempts. He didn't want to get up just yet, Yugi wanted to milk his Saturday morning for all he could. Being a high school student and part time store clerk for his grandfather's game shop, Yugi often didn't get many days were he could sleep in. It pure bliss when he was able to seize the opportunity, much like he was now.

The seventeen year old nestled deeper into his mattress trying to coax his mind and body back into unconsciousness, however, it was a useless effort. His bed was much too warm and his mattress was sagging more than usual. No matter how much he willed for sleep to take over, he just couldn't get comfortable enough for himself to slip back into slumber. The human let out an irritable huff while his eyes fluttered open. He didn't wait for the hazy fog disrupting his sight to clear, as he started to push himself up off his bed.

Just as he started to sit up, Yugi noticed an odd sensation near his hips. Something was applying pressure around his waist. Something warm, something that felt like an arm trying to keep his body pinned down to his bed. Looking down at his waist, Yugi was quick to spot the bronze arm that had a tight hold of around the midsection of his body. Yugi's heart sprung into a violent gallop as his violet eyes strayed away from the arm to the face of its owner. Yugi's large eyes widened with surprise as he took in Atem's peaceful sleeping face. How had he crept into his bed? Atem had been asleep in the guest room and Yugi was positive that he had locked his bedroom's door before he went to sleep last night.

The human winced as Atem's arm squeezed his body gently with a gentle soft mutter coming from the Pharaoh. It hadn't hurt, but it was unexpected. Yugi's eyes started to trail lower down Atem's body when the vampire shuffled closer to him. Swelled pectorals were covered by a poor excuse of a bandaging job that also, blanketed a well chiseled abdomen. No doubt that was his grandfather's handiwork. The elder wasn't exactly known well for his 'perfect' care with wounds.

Yugi's eyes swept over the visible 'V' in Atem's lower abdominal region and the young human's face burst with heat. The human's heart started racing even faster than it had before, almost threatening to burst through his rib cage. Atem was in his bed naked...and was clinging to Yugi in his sleep.

"AHHHHHH!" Yugi pushed and thrashed around as he tried his best to get away from the nude and unconscious body of the Original vampire.

"…What the hell, Yami?" Atem's annoyed groggy voice question aloud as he rubbed his sore side from where Yugi's right heel had just kicked him.

'THUD!'

"Eh?" Sitting up, the vampire used a hand to rub the sleep from his eyes as he watched Yugi tumble around on his floor, trying to get as far away from his bed as possible.

"I-I could ask the same thing, Pharaoh!" Yugi shouted at Atem, his face a vivid red as he pointed his index finger directly at the Egyptian.

"How dare you-"

'Bang!'

"I heard screaming, Yugi! Are you alright?" Solomon asked in a panicked voice after he forced his way into his grandson's room, armed with a broom.

"He was naked in my bed!" Yugi immediately informed his grandfather, his index finger still pointed at the former pharaoh.

A huff came from Atem as he sat up cross legged on Yugi's bed and crossed his arms over his chest. His maroon eyes closed and his eyebrows scrunched together in annoyance. "My actions do not warrant such rudeness from a mere human. I will inform you I was not given a change of clothing so I fail to see why you are reacting in such an immature fashion to my nudeness, " Atem's eyes snapped open glaring at Yugi as if he was a speck of dirt soiling his new pair of shoes. "My nudity should not matter. As a commoner, you should know public nudity is common among the within the working class and children."

"This is Two-thousand-fourteen A.D.(2014), not same the time era you are from! People don't just walk around without clothes on, Pharaoh. Let alone climb into someone else's bed in the middle of the night!" Yugi corrected the vampire, his face still burning with a bright blush.

Atem looked away from Yugi and avoided eye contact from Solomon as well. The ruler was silent, allowing Yugi's words sink in and be repeated in his mind. His expression softened a fraction, though it still contained its scowling appearance. He knew very well he was no long in the time period of his 'people' or of his rule as king. Atem was no fool. He had seen the way the world moved on and morphed without him through the eyes of others and now, his own.

When he was revived, he had used up most of his power just to remind those so called 'noblemen' and Yami, who held the real power over their heads. He had struck fear into their hearts and in the process, implanted more hatred into Yami's. But, the Pharaoh had also seen how the world had changed in politics and how it was governed. The only thing that didn't change, as far as Atem was concerned, was how the human race still seemed to fear and rebel against the vampire race.

Yet, this human boy in front of him still had the audacity to imply he didn't know that he was living in a more advance time then from when he had been previously living. It reminded him of too much of Heba, making the Pharaoh long for the presence of the feeder and for simpler times.

"Yugi, " The building tension in the room quickly dissipated when Solomon broke the silence with his calm voice. "Old habits die hard, even harder when you have to adjust to a new environment. It takes time to adapt to the unknown, also it's rude to point at people. " The elder man smacked his grandson lightly on the back of his head. "Now apologize to Atem, my rude child."

Yugi tenderly rubbed the soreness from his grandfather's hit away as he looked at Atem apologetically. The vampire was still refusing to look at him, but Yugi didn't blame him. He hadn't been considerate of the other male's feelings. Even though he was a vampire, he still had feelings, or at least, Yugi thought so. Maybe it was just his 'hunter' instincts causing him to treat the vampire with more cruelty than he did around others.

'Or maybe, it's because you see Yami in him. You fear he'll bite you, just like Yami had done.'

Guilt overcame Yugi and he looked away from Atem. He couldn't deny his thoughts, he did fear Atem would try to feed from him. He was just using that fear as an excuse to be cruel. Yugi detested himself for it too.

"Pharaoh, I…I'm sorry for being..." Yugi trailed off trying to describe how he had treated Atem this morning; judgmental, accusing, unfair, rude. "For being mean, " He finished.

Yugi watched as Atem's maroon eyes glanced at him. The vampire tilted his head up slightly, gazing down at Yugi as if he was the dirt he walked upon. "I accept your apology, on one condition. You bathe me, redo the dressings or my wound, and fetch me some proper clothing to wear."

"H-Huh?" Yugi stuttered, his face almost completely red from Atem's request with a dumbfounded expression.

"Help me prepare for the day. Need I be any clearer?" The vampire rephrased not even attempting to hide the annoyed tone that was soaking his sinfully deep voice.

"No, but why do you want me to give you a bath? Can't you wash yourself?" Yugi questioned and looked down at the blue pajama bottoms he wore, pinching at the fabric nervously.

"My servants or Yami had normally washed me, and since neither are available, you will have to do it, " Atem explained in a monotone voice. "It should not bother you too much, you have bathed me before when I was sealed."

The broom his grandfather held, fell to the ground with a clatter as the old man covered is mouth to mute his snickers. Yugi on the other hand, used his hands to cover his face and hide away from the humiliation. That was his secret to share, not Atem's. How did the vampire even know that he did that?! He was unconscious! The human groaned, if he could remember that then it was very possible Atem knew everything that came out of his mouth and did around the other why he was sealed.

Still laughing lightly, Solomon picked up the broom he dropped and started to head out of Yugi's room. "I'll fill the bathtub up with warm water for you two, play nice now."

Yugi lifted his head from his hands and gawked at his grandfather with horror. "Grandpa!"

The retired hunter's joyful laughter filled the house as he traveled down the hall to the bathroom, he didn't even try to muffle it like last time.

With his grandpa gone, Yugi was forced to deal with the situation with Atem by himself. The bedroom was void of any conversation, only the sounds of Yugi's soft breathing and the running bath water could be heard. For a long time neither of the males said a word and kept their gazes away from each other.

Finally, Yugi stood from his seat on the ground and stretched out his stiff muscles. He took the chance to look at Atem, catching the vampire looking at him as well.

" I'm going to check on the bath," Yugi told the Pharaoh before he started to walk out of his room. The awkwardness between them was just like the weirdness he faced every time he seen his former girlfriend, Anzu Mazaki, with her new boyfriend and Yugi's close friend, Hirotoi Honda.

"Wait," Atem ordered, not asked. Yugi stopped in the doorway and looked over his shoulder. "Why did it bother you to have me in your bed while we slept?"

Yugi turned his head away from Atem and looked down at the floor, wiggling his toes. "Well for one, you weren't there when I went to sleep, and two, you were nude. In this era it isn't normal to wake up next to a naked person unless…you know,…had sex or something close to it."

Yugi looked back up and at the original vampire when he heard a snort. "What weirdness. Just because a person is nude and sleeps within the same bed as you, does not mean it is going to lead to sex. Yami and I used to sleep together without any clothing, all the time."

"You and Yami are lovers. It's different for me and you because we hardly know each other."

"We are not lovers, we are mates," Atem corrected Yugi with a hostile edge to his tone.

"What's the difference?" Yugi leaned his back against the doorframe and watched Atem with a soft gaze. "You have to love each other to be mates, right?"

"Somewhat," For the first time, Yugi noticed the overall regal presence Atem possessed had vanished. His voice was soft, not suiting the vampire before him. "We were lovers a long time ago and that is how we became mates, however…" The vampire trailed off biting his bottom lip. Yugi took that as a sign Atem wasn't quite ready to discuss what the relationship had with Yami was.

"He moved on while you were 'away'," Yugi quietly stated with a sadden look. He exhaled before giving Atem a bright smile trying to lighten the gloomy mood. "I think the bath is ready. Shall we go freshen up, oh almighty Pharaoh?" The human gave a mocking bow to Atem.

The vampire's face refused to show his amusement, but Atem's eyes were betraying him as they shined with his amusement from Yugi's comment. Yugi could see his amusement flickering within those cool pools of red wine, and it made the Human's smile even brighter. "Then lead me to my bath, Yugi."

Yugi lifted his head, grin spread from ear to ear when he watch the vampire stand from the bed. The human stood straight and turned on his heel just before he caught sight of the vampire's lower parts. Just because Atem wasn't shy didn't mean Yugi would look, besides, he wasn't interested. He may have some perverse curiosity, but Yugi wasn't about to openly stare at another man's package. It would only make things more awkward between him and the undead king.

When Yugi entered the bathroom with Atem, the human could visibly tell Atem was disappointed. Though, the vampire never mentioned it aloud. It must have been due to the small size of the modern bath tub compared to the large baths from the era Atem grew up in. However, the size of the bathtub didn't stop the vampire from enjoying the blissfulness of warm water as he slipped into the bath.

Thankfully, the warm bath water was cloud from the bath salts his grandfather had added to the water. It meant Yugi didn't have to be flashed by Atem's penis as he washed the royal. He had enough of the sight when he had hand washed the pharaoh during his seal.

Yugi washed Atem's body in silence. He gently used soft washcloth to apply and rub in a vanilla scented body wash on to Atem's sun-kissed skin. During this time, he let his mind wander as he did the manual labor. His mind pondered over the fact how Atem had known that he had given him a sponge bath. Which meant his mind had been alert to the things occurring around him while he was under the seal. Then it could have very well meant Atem knew he was training to be a hunter and…and… Yugi started unwrapping the now soiled bandages with though yanks and harsh tugs as his mind started to worry about his secret's safety.

"H-Hey! Be easy undoing my dressings. I am still tender from my wound," Atem hissed at Yugi bring him out of his stupor.

"Ah!Sorry," The human's pulls became gentle as he discarded the bandages so he could properly wash the area.

When Yugi had finally disposed of all the bandages his eyes fell onto Atem's wound curiously. It was safe to say, the stab wound was not going to heal quickly, even for a vampire. The pharaoh's veins were still blackened from the seal's curse, however, they were no longer swollen. The wound itself though, hadn't heal at all. In fact, Yugi thought the flesh was still going to rot away. The skin around the wound was a dark grey coloration, the muscle tissue was blacken with bits of dried blood. Fragments of Atem's breast bone could be seen embedded into the rotten flesh, the only thing not black from decay.

Yugi didn't allow the awful site stray him from his objective of cleaning Atem's chest. True the sight made him want to empty out his stomach, but his mind was preoccupied with other matters and he had seen the wound more than once now. He began to wonder if Atem knew he was given the mission to become Yami's feeder and spy on the other. It plagued his mind knowing that the vampire could be in a close relationship with Yami and here he was, trying to get 'cozy' with Yami as the enemy. What if Atem was secretly planning on taking him out in his sleep? Could the Original possibly be plotting to kill him right now? Yugi had yet to even hold an official meeting with the Director, or even start on his mission's objective yet!

"Enough," Atem captured Yugi's wrist that was scrubbing his skin raw, in a grasp that was strong as steel.

The human blinked, lifting his gaze to Atem's. Ruby locked with amethyst while searching for something unstated. Atem released Yugi's wrist and reached out to take a firm hold of the seventeen year old's chin. He turned Yugi's head to the left, then to the right.

"What are you doing?" Yugi questioned the vampire as his head was forced up and the down. Just when Atem was going to turn it to the right again, Yugi's hand both constricted around Atem's hand like a python. "Would you stop that?"

Atem withdrew his hand, easily slipping it out of Yugi's tight grasp. He turned his head away from Yugi and sunk lower into his bath water until his shoulders were submerged. "You are distracted. What is plaguing your mind, Heba?"

Yugi puffed his cheeks out when Atem called him by that name again. Did he really remind the man of his attacker that much? Yugi wasn't a traitor, not like Heba was. He wouldn't attack someone in such a brutal way, especially when that person had been a kind king. Yugi would admit he could be considered a traitor, not that he was Yami's feeder, but he would never harm the man in anyway.

Yugi exhaled through his mouth in a heavy sigh, cheeks returning to their normal size. "How much do you know?"

"Depends on what you are asking about," Atem replied in a relax tone that was smooth as warm honey.

"I want to know if you remember the things I've told you during my visits," Yugi paused to calm his heart which, was starting to beat erotically. "I want to know how much you retain from that time."

Atem lifted up a leg out of the murky bathwater, examining his foot with little interest. For a while the vampire kept quiet, letting Yugi rage silently. It wasn't until when he noticed the human's violet eyes starting to darken, did he speak.

"I remember all of it. From the moment you first touched me, to just before you pulled the dagger from my chest. I can remember everything you did and said around me during that time, along with those who visited me prior to your arrival."

His words were simple with no hidden meaning. It was as if he applied no thought to them, they were so carefree and mellow. The effect of them though, only confirmed Yugi's fears and gave birth to more speculations within his mind.

"S-So you know about it then…"

"About you being a part of the hunter group that's been giving my people a hard time? Yes, I do," Atem stated simply and gave a shrug of his shoulders before lowering his leg back into the water. "You are of no threat to me. I've come to know your type of character. You have not the type of soul that could bring harm others, even if you tried."

"What about Yami? Aren't you…aren't you worried about me being his feeder."

"A little, but that is more for you than for him. While he and I were together, he had a hard time of telling when he had taken too much blood from a human. I'm only concerned he's going to end up killing my only servant. Also you did not want to become it, regardless of your situation."

Yugi found himself bracing his hands on the side of the bathtub, his left eyebrow twitching slightly. "Thanks, …I guess."

"You are welcomed. You won't have to fear death by his hands for long, Heba," Atem tilted his head back into the water, soaking his volcanic mane in the water. "Before you are officially claimed, I plan on stealing you from him."

Yugi wasn't sure what should shock him more. The fact he wasn't officially claimed yet, or how casually Atem just spoke of him stealing him away from Yami. He was stunned so much, his mouth was slowly falling open on it's own.

"Unless you like the taste of fruit flies, I suggest you close your mouth Heba. Flies do not make a good food source for humans," Atem spoke casually as he sat straight up in the tub and combed his hands through his damp hair.

Yugi snapped his mouth shut and quickly shook his head as he came out of his shocked daze. "What? I'm not claimed?!"

"You did not know?" The Pharaoh looked at Yugi curiously, as if the human was lacking basic knowledge. "A vampire doesn't officially claim a human until after the third feeding. It's during the third feeding when a bond will form between the vampire and human."

Yugi shook his head 'no'. "What's 'the bond'?" Ryou nor Malik had never mentioned it before to him.

"It is like a contract. The bond only allows the vampire to pierce their fangs into the human they are bonded to. They can drink donated blood and animal blood, but they cannot physically bite into another human being. Our instincts will keep us from doing so. One the human side, your species can only have the vampire you're bonded to drink from you. Anyone else and you'll go through a tremendous amount of pain that will not cease until your bonded vampire drinks from you again or, when you are dead," The Pharaoh spoke with Atem's voice dark, threatening to haunt Yugi.

"The bond also allows each party to be 'aware' of the other," The Original continued in an all-knowing tone. "The vampire feels the human's emotions, pain, and needs. The same applies for the human. They both have a way of knowing when the other is around and when they are in trouble."

"It's like reading minds?" Yugi asked Atem, trying to make a connection. The more he knew about this bond, the more prepared he would be when he was truly claimed by Yami. He had his secrets he needed to keep hidden.

"No, that is something completely different. You only know what they feel, nothing more," The Egyptian clarified, his voice soft.

Yugi relaxed and turned his back to Atem, pressing it against the bathtub and leaning his head back against the edge. His violet eyes were focused on the ceiling above him. "How do you know all of this Atem?"

Yugi heard water being splashed around in the bath as Atem turned his own back to Yugi. "A long, long time ago, I had been bonded with a human after claiming them. He was both mine and Yami's feeder."

"How?"

"It's…complicated to explain. Just know that it pertains to mated vampires and a lot of self-control," Atem answered truthfully.

Yugi brought a leg to his chest, wrapping his arms around it and resting his chin on top of his knee. "Was Heba your feeder?"

"Yes, he was."

"Was he the one who stab you?"

"…Unfortunately, yes."

"He sealed you," Yugi stated more to himself than to Atem.

"He…He did not act alone. Someone else was pulling the strings behind my 'death', " The confident voice of the king was shattered when Atem spoke of his sealing. "Heba…He was different. I assume he had his reasons behind why he sealed me..."

Yugi closed his eyes. "Yami thinks you allowed him to do it to you."

"Yami's mind has been tampered with, poisoned you could call it," Atem sighed. "He allowed himself to become corrupted by the very person who swore to help him unseal me. He got himself entangled in a web of lies, like a hard-headed fool," The vampire's voice was even. Never falling or rising with his words.

Yugi didn't respond to Atem's words instead, he stood and started to head for the door. "I'll be back, I'm going to search for you some clothes."

"Very well, it is about time I exited my bath," Atem agreed.

Yugi glanced back at the former Pharaoh of two kingdoms. It amazed him that even after millenniums had passed since he last saw the light of day, Atem was calm and adjusted to this 'new world' with ease. The strength of a king was truly, amazing.

* * *

"What in Amun's name is this?"

Confused, Atem led up the pair of black skinny jeans for Yugi to see.

"They're pants, Pharaoh," Yugi informed the vampire. "You did have pants back in your day, didn't you?"

"Of course, but…" The vampire made a face as he looked the slim fitting trousers with an unsure expression. " Just not like this."

Yugi tried to hide his laughter as he started to pull on his own pair of trousers. Atem was one lucky soul. If Yugi didn't have friends who left their clothes every time they decide to spend the night at his place, then the poor vampire would have been left to walk around in his birthday suit until Yugi could locate him something to wear.

Currently, Atem was holding up a pair of black skinny jeans that Malik had left at his home. The former Pharaoh had already tugged on the plain white short-sleeved V-neck shirt that belonged to Jonouchi and surprisingly, the shirt was just a tab bit big on the Pharaoh. The sight of the rightful king of the vampire race standing in an over-sized T-shirt while trying to figure out how to squeeze his long legs into a pair of jeans, was highly amusing. It almost made Yugi forget Atem was perhaps the most dangerous creature in the world.

Yugi smiled as he watched Atem struggle to put the simple article of clothing on as he checked his own attire out in the mirror attached to his closet door. He wore a similar pair of black skinny jeans slightly too long for his short legs, a long sleeved navy blue U-neck, with a lightweight gray fleece jacket. Unlike the vampire, he needed to bundle up for the cold temperatures. Yugi hated how fragile his body was compared to a vampire's. They never had to worry about getting ill, breaking a limb, or eating every day.

The human used his fingers to comb back his wild gravity defying spikes into ponytail, leaving his bangs free to frame his face. His violet eyes spied on Atem as he finally manage to get Malik's pants on his hips.

"On my desk there's a small box, it has colored contact lenses in it. Grandpa said you might want to wear them to hide your eye color," Yugi informed Atem as he tried to keep his spikes tamed in his ponytail.

"Contact Lenses?" The vampire questioned with a confused tone as he buttoned his jeans and carefully pulled up the zipper.

"It's… a cosmetic thing. They're little flexible glass discs that cover your pupils and irises. You can still see out of them, but they'll cover up your eye color," Yugi spoke unsurely, unable to describe what a contact lens was to Atem correctly.

"Why would he think I want to conceal my eye color with placing glass in my eye?" Atem scoffed, turning the idea down. "Only Yami and the Guardians know who I am."

Yugi made a displeased face. Even if only eight people knew what the pharaoh looked like, he still felt uneasy. What if Yami had discovered Atem had been revived and had sent the Sacred Guardians after him? There was always a chance they could spot the former Pharaoh out in the crowd. "Still, I think it would be safer."

"Teh, you will be fine," Atem tsked. "Have you forgotten who I am? I am an original, the strongest vampire of my race."

"You're also still impaired by the seal Heba inflicted on you," Yugi pointed out with concern, not malicious intent.

Atem sighed softly through his nose. "I can still defend with the gift my ancestors have bestowed on me. We will be fine. "

Yugi crossed his arms over his chest and gripped both of his forearms tightly. He didn't believe Atem. He wanted too, but he couldn't. It wasn't just Yami that Yugi was worried about, he was worried about the I.V.H.A as well. His grandfather had a perfect drawing of Atem stuffed away in one of his Egyptology books. If his grandfather had a picture of Atem there was the possibility the Association could have one as well and be able to identify Atem. Then Yugi would truly have a flame under his ass that he didn't need.

A hand settled on top of his head, causing Yugi to look up and come face to face with Atem. The vampire had a true genuine smile on his face. It was small, but confident and promising, matching his eyes that were filled with an unknown determination. "You will be fine, Heba. Nothing will happen to you or your grandfather, not while you are helping me. I owe you. "

Yugi was stunned by Atem's words for a second time that morning. He couldn't believe that a vampire other than Jou, actually said they were indebted to him; a human. Yugi smiled to himself and gently removed Atem's hand from his head. His nervousness was slowly melting away as he held Atem's hand in both of his. His eyes had a bright look in them, grateful for the comfort for his silent distress. "Thank you, but I'm not Heba," Yugi looked at Atem with a warm playful glint in his eyes. "My name is Yugi, remember it."

"So you've told me, Yugi," Atem smirked to match that playful look in the human's eyes.

"Boys, breakfast is ready!" Solomon's voice called out to Atem and Yugi.

Yugi smiled with glee and grabbed Atem's hand pulling him along as he practically ran down stairs. "Come on you slow poke! You're going to love my grandpa's cooking!"

"Yugi I-"

"Ah ah ah, I already know what you're going to say," The human teen silences Atem by cutting him off. "I'm a hunter in training, I know a vampire's diet. Besides, one of my best friends is a vampire. Grandpa and I have almost master the art of cooking for vampires!"

Atem looked at Yugi as if he had just shit gold before him. The vampire shook his head as he took a seat at the dining table while Yugi ventured to the kitchen to fix their plates. "The world has changed to a strange place."

Yugi looked over his shoulder towards Atem and raised an eyebrow. The former king's words made the human wonder how the world was before Atem was sealed. He knew vampires and humans weren't like they were now. Human's used to be controlled by the vampires out of fear, like slaves. Now it was much different. Humans were fighting back or trying to live peaceful lives with the vampires. Yugi smiled as he started piling the food his grandfather had made for Atem, while the old man fixed Yugi's plate. "It must be weird to you. A lot has changed in…" Yugi trailed off trying to count the years that had passed in his head.

"Nearly three thousand years," Solomon answered for Yugi, stealing Atem's plate of food from his grandson and leaving the cooking area of the kitchen.

"Uh, yeah that," Yugi said pouting when his grandfather took the food away from him. Yugi then went about fixing their drinks; two glasses of orange juice and one class of warm ox blood.

Atem blinked as Solomon placed a plate of food in front of him, followed by Yugi sitting a glass of blood next to it along with a set of silverware. The vampire took a closer look at his food and was utterly shocked to find the incredible feast he was bestowed with. The pharaoh was presented with lightly deviled lamb kidneys smothered in a rich burgundy sauce, waffles glazed with a sweet smelling syrup, dried dates dipped in honey and lion's blood, and to top off this breakfast fit for a king; Solomon had even prepared a serving of candied pomegranate for Atem.

It was like he was back home again, back in Kemet.

The vampire didn't hesitate to start savoring his food. Picking up his fork, Atem started to cut into his lamb. The first bite exploded with flavor on his tongue. The meat was perfectly tender, still moist with the animal's blood. The sauce added an extra sweetness that bleed nicely with the bitterness of the lamb. From just one bite, Atem had become addicted to elderly man's cooking.

"It…it's amazing! Far better than anything the cooks from when I had ruled," The pharaoh complemented Solomon with such awe, he sound like a little child.

"See? I told you we almost mastered it!" Yugi said smugly as he started digging into his own food.

His grandfather had kept their breakfast simple but just as elegant as Atem's. Yugi's plate was filled with crispy bacon, eggs that had been scrambled with care and seasoned to perfection and two, fluffy buttermilk pancakes smothered in butter and sweet syrup topped with freshly cut strawberries. It was his favorite breakfast meal. Which was why Yugi was confused. His grandfather had prepared his favorite breakfast food the day after, he brought home a person that will most likely be the cause of both of their deaths. He wanted to ask his grandpa why he had fixed this meal for him, but he decided against it and just enjoyed the flavorful food.

They ate in silence, mostly because watching the former king eat was all the entertainment the two humans needed. Atem ate with a grace that was rare for vampires. He sat up straight, never slouching. He brought his food to his mouth rather than leaning in to meet his fork halfway. The vampire was clearly savoring each bite of his food and sips of his oxblood, like it might be the last time he would be able to enjoy the delicious food. Although to Yugi, Atem looked like he had a plate of road kill with some fruit. Nevertheless, the pharaoh was enjoying his meal to the fullest.

When he finished, Atem slid his dirty plate forward and folded his hand in his lap. His maroon eyes were no longer like a dark wine, they were a blazing crimson fire that was staring straight at Yugi as the human finished his own food. It made the seventeen year old feel self-conscious as he finished up his own breakfast. The moment he finished, Yugi stood and collected the dirty dishes from his grandfather and Atem. It wasn't until Yugi had placed them in the dishwasher along with soiled pots and pans, did Atem stand from his seat. The vampire kept to himself as he relocated to the living room and took a seat on one of the plush black couches that were far beyond outdated.

"Yugi, come comb my hair," Atem commanded the human, not asked.

Yugi took a deep breath and released it slowly. Asking politely for things was clearly never taught to the original vampire. "I will, just wait while I go get a brush."

"I'll get for you," Solomon offered standing from the table.

"It's okay Grandpa, I can get it," Yugi protested.

"No, no. Let me go get it for you. I need to start moving around a bit more. I'm getting too heavy," Solomon jested with a light merry laugh as he started up the stairs. "I'll only be a minute."

Yugi watch his grandfather leave before sighing aloud. "What was the point of that?" He verbalized his thoughts softly.

"To leave us alone," Atem answered, clear as day.

Yugi blinked, not expecting to get an answer especially from Atem. "Why would he do that?"

"I asked him to," Atem replied almost instantly. "It wasn't compulsion, if you were wondering. I just gave him the suggestion…mentally"

'Yeah right,' Yugi scrunched his eyebrows together at Atem's words. He knew the vampire had to have used compulsion otherwise, his grandpa wouldn't have offered. "Why do you want us to be alone?"

"I want to ask you how long you are willing for me to stay here," Atem stated with caution in his voice. It was like he had phrased his words very carefully. " I understand that me being here is a threat –"

"It's not a threat, it's the signature on my death certificate. You being here is breaking the code of the hunters," Yugi interjected.

"The way bring me here? I didn't force you," Atem tilted his head back, gazing at Yugi with curious eyes.

Yugi avoided looking at Atem's eyes as he made his way towards the couch. "I had no other choice. I wasn't going to let you die." He took a seat next to Atem and leaned back into the softness of the sofa.

"You're free to stay here as long as you please. Just don't cause us too much trouble, okay?"

Yugi gave Atem a sideway glance, watching the vampire study the ceiling with his fiery eyes. For several minutes they stayed silent until Atem finally tore his eyes away from the roof above him to look at Yugi.

"Do you think I would make a good king in this time period?"

The question left Yugi dumbfounded. He wasn't sure what had compelled the man before him to ask it and had no idea how to answer it. Biting his lower lip, Yugi scanned Atem's red eyes with his violet ones. He wasn't sure what he was looking for but he hoped there was a clue of some sort in them. Some type of emotion that would help him answer the sudden question. There was none.

Releasing his lip that was now raw, Yugi sighed and averted his eyes away from the Pharaoh. "I'm not sure. I don't know you well enough to make that type of conclusion."

* * *

Domino City Mall was one of the many buildings in Domino City that was owned by the Kaiba Corporation. Commonly known as DCM, the mall was large three-story white building with almost every story known to man inside its maze like structure. For those who enjoyed embracing their inner shopper, DCM was their perfect haven and for those who loathed shopping, it was their living nightmare.

For Yugi, DCM was neither of the two. It was just the most convenient place to go to get both the shopping for Atem's clothes and for his friend's Christmas presents, out of the way.

He and Atem had been in the shopping complex for just over two hours. In that time, Yugi had managed to get Atem's measurements taken; discovered the vampire had an unhealthy obsession over gold and fake silver accessories; explained to the former Pharaoh what a belt was; and purchased the man thirteen different casual outfits, two formal outfits, four pairs of pajama pants, three packs of boxers with five pairs in each pack, five pairs of shoes, and the essential care products a vampire needed. Never in his life had Yugi been almost completely exhausted from shopping, but here he was now, slouching on a bench with ten different shopping bags surrounding him with hardly no feeling in his arms and legs.

He knew shopping for Atem was going to be a chore, but the Pharaoh turned out to be one of the pickiest men in the world! Nothing he had bought Atem could be considered 'cheap', all of the new clothing the Pharaoh had picked out had been 'top of the line' brands. Such as: Nike, Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Prada, Calvin Klein, Under Armor, and several more. The cheapest thing that Yugi had bought Atem, was a Colgate soft bristle toothbrush.

Yugi didn't mind spending the high amount of money he did. When his parents had passed away, they had left him a quite a bit of money from their life insurance through the I.V.H.A. It was far more than enough to pay for his college tution in the future, and even to be able to live a few years own his own comfortably. That was just adding to the monthly pay he received from the I.V.H.A. as a trainee, And although he had some money to his name, Yugi could still feel the aching pain of his wallet. Up until today, Yugi had hardly touched a single penny of the dowry his parents left him. Pratially because the teen wanted to save up enough to let his Grandfather retire comfortably, once Yugi had ound a stable job and finished a higher education. The other reason was simple that Yugi didn't want to others to think he was 'peacocking' or trying to gain the affection of others through what money he had in his bank account. When the human wanted something, Yugi used the money he earned from helping his grandfather with the shop. Not his inheritance or the money from the Association. This would be the first time he would use the money his parents left behind and hopefully, the last for a long time.

"Machines that spit out bottle drinks when you place paper in them, the world's strangeness keeps evolving with each place we visit. Here," Yugi opened his closed eyes, looking at the Diet Coke Atem was holding out for him.

"You didn't try to use your 'gift' to destroy the vending machine like you did with the escalator, did you?" The human asked smiling as he took the diet drink from the former king. By gift, Yugi had meant the ability of absolute control over shadows Atem possessed.

" No," Atem snorted as he sat next to Yugi, opening his own drink; a grape flavored Vitamin Water. "It was not black sorcery like that contraption from before," The vampire clarified taking a sip of his water.

"So moving stairs deserve to be destroyed, but boxes that spit out drinks are okay? And this is from a vampire lord who lived in Ancient Egypt where they had magical rituals and monsters?" Yugi asked unable to keep his laughter under control as opened his own drink.

"Precisely," Atem hummed after he swallowed his sip of water. He looked at the plastic bottle in his hand with an inquiring look before taking another gulp of the refreshing liquid. "This water is sweet. Are you sure it is meant for vampire consumption?"

Yugi paused in mid gulp, lowering his Coke bottle down. He looked at the label of Atem's Vitamin water, double checking that it was the vitamin water for vampires and not humans. "Yeah, you're good. It just has an artificial flavoring added to it."

Atem took another sip of his water after Yugi reassured him. He wrinkled his nose as the sweet and bitter taste of grapes splashed against his tongue again.

Yugi let out a round of light laughter from Atem's disgusted expression. At first the vampire looked at him as if he had lost his mind before rolling his eyes at the human. "My displeasure is amusing to you, joy," The vampire spoke sarcastically.

"N-No," Yugi said through his laughter. "Just the expressions you make are funny."

Atem smiled lightly, shaking his head. "You are a strange human."

"You're an odd vampire," Yugi pointed out, nudging Atem playfully with his elbow.

"Only because I have not adapted to all of this," The vampire gestured to their surroundings. "I am baffled by how much everything has changed…I am not even sure if the human kingdom I once ruled over, still exists."

Yugi played with the cap of his drink bottle, twisting it between his index finger and thumb. "What was it like? Back in your time."

"Well, it certainly did not contain things possessed by black heka like the world is now," Atem stated casually, relaxing against the bench and holding his bottle of flavored water in his lap. "Kemet was a peaceful and beautiful. It hardly knew of a dark time under my father's rule and I continued his legacy. I remember there was a marketplace just outside per-rm*, my home. It had a similar atmosphere like this one has, but the appearance was much difference. It was outdoor, with stalls lined up as far as the eye could see. The goods were handcrafted and unique. I would always sneak away from my studies or duties to go visit it. Of course Yami would sometimes accompany me, but I mostly went alone for a temporary escape from reality. When Yami went with me, he was always uptight when we visited the market without the royal guards and dressed like mere peasants. He was such a paranoid child!"

Atem paused taking a relaxing deep breath, closing his eyes and a slight smirk gracing his features. "I enjoyed the little freedom and the thrill that filled me when I left home. Interacting my people without worrying about upholding my title, it was and still is, an incredible feeling. It reminds me that I am not that much different from them. And the things I got to experience, it was nothing like what the palace had to offer. The smell of freshly baked bread, exotic fruits and creatures, different types of cloths, the light atmosphere, the buzzing of the crowds…"

Yugi smiled as Atem went on and on about what the shopping centers of his home were like. The vampire must have got so caught up in telling about his time that he switch languages and started speaking in his foreign language. Even though Yugi couldn't understand a single word Atem was speaking, he was content in just listening to the beautiful speech. It was something new, something he could grow used to.

Ten minutes passed and Atem was still chatting away, not even noticing that he was now speaking in only the words he understood. Yugi had zoned out, thinking about what Christmas presents he should give to who and where to buy them at. Both of the males were so absorbed in their two different trains of thought that the both of them failed to hear the female voice calling out to Yugi until it was too late.

"Cutie!"

"Ah!"

A female with familiar long wavy brown hair and sun-kissed skin had slammed into Yugi, arms wrapping around him in a bone crushing hug. "I thought I'd never get to see your adorable butt again!"

He knew this voice, but from where?

"Uhh…" Yugi wasn't sure how to respond to the female's words. They left him confused as he searched through his memories.

"You forgot me, didn't you? You go and become Yami's feeder and forget me? How rude!" The girl huffed, stand up straight and crossing her arms over her bosom. "I didn't forget about you, or your cute round butt."

_Cute round butt__… T_hose words rang a bell in Yugi's mind, along with those blue-green eyes vividly displaying the female's disappointment. _'Brown hair, tan skin, Blue-green eyes, saying my butt is cute…'_

"You're Mana," Yugi announced with a click of his tongue. Yugi flashed her a smile his eyes looking at the girl fondly. " You never actually formally introduced yourself. I only know your name because the other girl that was with you on Halloween, I forgot her name, had called you by that."

The female laughed shyly, light pink tinting her cheeks. "Well I'm flattered you remembered anyways! But what are you doing here, Cutie? It's dangerous to be out and about all alone.  
"

"I'm Christmas shopping with my cousin," He smoothly lied to the servant girl, while his gut protested against it. Yugi hated lying but there was no other way to protect Atem and himself if he didn't tell the small white lie. Plus, it was time to test out the alibi he had created for Atem. "Right, Heba?"

Yugi froze in place as soon as the name slipped from his lips. He hadn't meant to call Atem by that name, it just happened to slip out. He cast a concerned glance at Atem, only to see the vampire was locked in place with his red eyes wide and blazing with multiple emotions. Yugi bit his bottom lip nervously and nudge Atem lightly to gain his attention. He earned several blinks from the vampire and a confused glance.

"Uh, yes?" Yugi felt the contact of his hand slapping his forehead before he had even realized it happened.

Yugi shook his head before giving a fake smile to both Atem and Mana. "Spacing out again, Heba? You know that's not healthy habit, not at all."

He earned a glare from Atem, a silent threat that he would regret those words later. However, that didn't matter to Yugi at the moment. He was more concerned with getting rid of Mana as quick as possible without raising any red flags.

"You should listen to your cousin, Heba!"

_'Eh?'_ Both Yugi and Atem gave Mana a questioning glance. The girl stood in front of them, feet spread shoulder width apart with her hands on her hips. Now that Yugi was clearly looking at the girl, he noticed she was wearing a black uniform dress. Almost like a maid's but lacking the apron and white frills.

"You need to be more aware of your surroundings, there's a very bad vampire on the loose!" The girl scolded Atem, tapping the tip of his nose with her middle finger.

"There's a bad vampire on the loose?" Yugi blinked in disbelief. He hadn't received any notice from the I.V.H.A. about any rogue vampires being in the area unless …it wasn't a rogue.

Mana looked around them, as if she was making sure that no one was paying attention to their conversation. After checking the area twice, she leaned in towards the two. "Last night, the former king attacked the Prince. He stole the blood of the Original vampire that was in Yami's body. It left the Prince in really bad shape, at least, that's what Master Mahaad told me," She whispered softly. "It happened right in front of the leaders of the noble pureblood families too. The King made the Prince look insane. It work too, the noblemen didn't believe that it was the former king until they went to his chamber underneath the estate. They found it void of everything. No offerings, no sarcophagi, no scent, not even the torches in the inner sanctuary chamber were there. The only proof that the king had been there were the shadows that were still lurking around and hissing as they entered."

Mana back away from them an index finger to her lips. A silent gesture for the two males to not utter a word about what she had just told them. "Yami order the people who would know what the king would look and smell like to track him down. It's urgent we find him because…because Yami said there was a chance that Ate-I mean the king, went rogue. He was starved by his own uncle for at least seven years and was potentially exposed to high concentrations of wolfsbane. The Sacred Guardians, Prince, and Master Mahaad all came to the conclusion that he was revived by his thirst for blood and his anger towards Yami for fracturing their mating bond."

Yugi's body went cold. His entire body was stiff, unmoving. They knew he was alive; they were searching for him; and they thought Atem was a rogue vampire! Yugi's body started to shake with small fearful trimmers. Atem had attacked Yami. Atem wanted to take him away from Yami. Atem was… He … He hated Yami and Yami, obviously hated him back. That was the only conclusion Yugi's mind could come up as Mana's word fully sank into his mind. That wasn't what why he was so fearful though, it was the fact Yugi had realized that he was stuck in the middle of their hatred. He was in the middle of a very dangerous lovers' quarrel.

"When he is found, what will happened to the king?" His body tensed even more when he heard how dark Atem's voice had become when he spoke his question. It was the voice of a sinful beautiful demon.

Mana's cheerful attitude dropped, her shoulder lowered and her eyes were glued to her black knee-high boots. "Master Mahaad said...He said…they were going to seal his soul in the puzzle. Once Yami reconstructed it," Her voice quivered, vocalizing a sadness that Yugi couldn't understand. "H-He…He can't…They can't kill him. Not like a normal vampire. So m-my master said he was going…going to seal his soul away with a powerful ancient spell then… then they dispose of the body where it could not be revived," Tears, real tears, fell from Mana's blue-green eyes.

Yugi slowly forced himself to forget his childish fears as the weight of Mana's answer to Atem's question registered in his mind. Yami planned on sealing Atem away again, and just after the Original had just gotten his life back last night. The human's violet eyes looked towards Atem. Said vampire was void of emotion, his face held no expression and his eyes were a dark burgundy that was almost black and locked on Mana's crying form.

"Y-You…You look a lot like him, Heba. Even your scent is…it's…" Mana's eyes widened, as she gazed directly at Atem. Not at the person Yugi introduced her as Heba, but at her long lost ruler; the king of vampires, Atem Muran.

Mana took a step back, her eyes shifting colors from their dark cerulean to an intense crimson. "Cutie get away from him, now. I-It's not safe. He's not your cousin. He's…He's –"

"A rogue?" Atem finished for her with a hiss. He stood up from the bench, arms crossed over his chest, dark colored eyes glaring into Mana's now crimson ones. "Has Yami fallen off his wagon? Mahaad and the others too?"

"N-No!" She protested, "They're still the same as the day you left us."

"I never left!" Atem snapped, "I was never gone and I am not a rogue. This human here – " He gestured to Yugi. "– Is the reason I am here now. He released me! Not the desire to consume blood."

He took a step closer to her.

Mana's eyes darted from Atem to Yugi. "Cutie," Her crimson eyes locked with Yugi's violet irises. "Why don't you come here, we need to get away from this man. He's bad."

Yugi's fingers curled around his drink bottle tightly. He felt that familiar push at his own mind along with Mana's sweet voice coaxing him to obey her suggestion. It was compulsion, he knew that unmistakable feeling. He could feel his mind start to be bent to her will.

The human stood to his feet, keeping his eyes locked with Mana's. Slowly he started to walk towards her, it made her smile reappear. She thought she won, she thought she had Yugi in her control… … … …

_Yeah right!_

Instead of going to Mana's side, Yugi took a confident stance in front of Atem. His normal kind round eyes held none of the warm emotions they often had, and instead, they were cold pools of anger.

"Compulsion doesn't work on me, Mana," Yugi spoke calmly, he uncapped his Diet Coke and took a sip. Not once, breaking their eye contact.

"W-What? " Her eyes were like large windows to her soul. Wide with fear and confusion and shimmering with drying tears. The dark haired girl started to shake. "I-It can't be possible…How…"

Swallowing his mouthful of the soda, Yugi gave her a soft smile. "I can't tell you, or it won't be a secret anymore."

"It's not a secret, Yugi. She knows," Atem stated in a monotone voice, his baritone vocals still edged with a sinister tone. "Apparently when compulsion does not succeed on a human, it means they have connections to the hunters. At least, that is what is going through her mind."

Yugi looked over his shoulder, giving Atem a baffled look, "You can read minds?!"

"Technically, no. But I'll explain later," The Original vampire brushed past Yugi, walking directly towards Mana.

Yugi moved to his left slightly, so he could watch Mana and Atem's interaction. His violet eyes studying the two. Mana was completely terrified as she gazed up at Atem with bright crimson eyes while Atem, was completely composed and calm. Not a single emotion had bled through his perfected poker mask. Not even through his eyes that were now brightly burning a blood red color. With caution and care, Atem lifted his right hand and took a firm grasp on Mana's chin, keeping her from looking anywhere but into his eyes. That small grasp on her chin seemed completely harmless to a person just simply passing bye, but Yugi knew the potential that small hold held. Atem held Mana's life in between his thumb and index finger.

"Listen carefully," Atem began with a voice that could woo the devil. He leaned in closer towards Mana, his lips barely touching hers. "You will not mention this to anyone. You will forget that you even saw me here with Yugi. You won't remember telling Yugi about why you were here or anything regarding me. You will leave this place immediately and tell your master you could not find a trace of my presence anywhere within this city. You will go home and sleep immediately after you tell your good-byes to Yugi. Do you understand my orders Mana?"

"I do."

Atem smirked proudly, pulling away and releasing Mana at the same time.

The moment Mana was free, she quickly skipped towards Yugi and clasped her hands around his hands and his drink. "It was nice seeing you again, Cutie!" She said with a bright smile her crimson eyes slowly fading back to their original blue-green hues. "I hope you have fun shopping for Christmas! Oh, which reminds you should get Yami these fancy chocolates from 'Ooh La la' called Midnight Delights, for Christmas! That's his favorite candy! He likes the ones in the golden package! Bye-bye now."  
Mana let go of him, turned on her heel and skipped away. Not even acknowledging Atem as she passed by him. Yugi blinked before looking at Atem. The vampire was smirking so smugly one might think the vampire had just won the lottery.

"What the hell was that? What did you do to her, Pharaoh?" Yugi blabbered out once Mana's brown hair was out of his sight.

"I just used a little compulsion," Atem replied confidently returning to the bench and picking up his Vitamin water. He took a sip, rejoicing in the refreshed feeling it left him.

"A little? She went from terrified to happy in just one second! That was way more than just a little."

Atem shrugged his shoulders, lowering the bottle from his lips. "It's not my fault her mind has weaken since I have been 'sleeping'."

Yugi shook his head at Atem and gave him a disbelieving glance. He could practically feel the pride coming from Atem in tidal waves. The human started to collect their shopping bags filled with Atem's clothes. "Come on, we need to finish shopping."

* * *

Done. Finished. Objective completed.

He was officially finished shopping and Yugi, couldn't be anymore happier. He was practically radiating with joy as he and Atem left the popular candy store called 'Ooh La La'. He couldn't say the same though for Atem, the vampire was serving out 'his' punishment.

The first time Atem attacked an escalator, Yugi had looked it over as the vampire just being paranoid about the unknown. However, after he attacked one for the second time, trashed both a urinal and hand dryer in a men's restroom, and nearly destroyed an elevator full of people; Yugi had finally reached his limit with the Original vampire's 'over reactions' to mordent technology. Therefore, Yugi forced the vampire to carry all the shopping bags that they had; all thirty seven of them. Yugi had turned a proud king into his personal pack mule.

"Are we finished now?" Atem asked groaning and shifting the shopping bags on his arms. "These plastic carrying containers are torturing my arms!"

"Yes and good, that means they're doing job," Yugi answered with a gleeful tone.

"What job would that be?"

"Punishing you. You almost destroyed the mall today. How would I explain that to Kaiba if you succeeded?" Yugi paused his walk, turning on his heel to face Atem. "Oh please forgive my cousin Kaiba. See, he's not actually human or my cousin. He's you king that tried to murder your prince right before your eyes. He thought the urinal was the source of black magic so he blew it up using his shadow magic!"

"That's not funny Yugi." Atem growled his eyes narrowing at the human. "I did not have the knowledge that it was meant to be pissed in!"

Yugi huffed and turned away from Atem, resuming his walk towards the mall's exit. "Well next time ask before you go siccing your shadows on something, Atem!"

"Do not use my birth name so freely!" The former pharaoh snapped at Yugi. "Would you like one of the Guardians to show up and try to kill the both of us?"

"Oh hush, you're just being drama queen now."

"D-Drama queen? I am not a queen of anything, I am a king! Nor am I the king of drama!"

"Says the man who signed his own death certificate by attacking his mate over a simple kiss," Yugi taunted, stuffing his hands in his coat pockets.

"It was not just because of some kiss! I explain this to you when we went to that weird scroll store! Seth had alternative motives behind his actions and Yami was being a fool and falling for his tricks!" Atem defended himself." I also needed to cleanse Yami's body of my blood before those with evil intentions tried to succeed him as an Original."

"But was it necessary for you to do such a thing in cruel fashion and in front of the nobles?" Yugi questioned Atem.

"Of course! As they say, an eye for an eye; he cause my heart pain therefore, I bestowed him his own 'heart-ache'."

Yugi didn't reply to Atem's words. He didn't feel like continuing this argument he was too exhausted from this shopping trip to deal with a cranky vampire.

'Bizz, Bizz, Bizz!'

Yugi stopped his walk, and pulled out his phone from his left coat pocket. He slid his thumb over the unlock screen to read the email he had just received. With each word contained in the electronic mail, his eyes gradually started to grow wider.

_'Attention! Code 'RV2 – 96C9' has been issued! Report to area 96 immediately! Code RV2 – 96C9 is to be taken seriously. This is not a drill. All available hunters are to report to Domino City Mall' southren exit immediately!'_

"Yugi, let us go. We need to leave this area," Atem's voice pulled Yugi's attention away from his phone. The human nodded in agreement and tucked his phone back into his pocket before following Atem.

"There's two rogue vampires in the mall, all hunters in the Japan Branch of the Association were just notified, " Yugi whispered to Atem in a hushed voice.

"No, just one vampire, " He corrected Yugi. "There's only one."

"How do you know?" Yugi questioned the vampire, curious to know why Atem thought that there was only one.

"Because 'it' is stalking us," The Original's voice was barely audible, Yugi had to strain just hear it.

"I don't believe you," The human whispered back and started to turn his head to look over his shoulder.

"Don't look!" Atem snapped at Yugi, he grabbed the human's wrist in a painfully tight grasp while also continuing to hold the shopping bags. "You'll encourage the hunt."

Just as Yugi was about to reply to Atem's snappy words, a soft ding echo through the shopping complex several times before a voice started to speak.

_**"A RV2 code has been issued for this area. Please remain calm. I repeat; a RV2 code has been issued for this area. Please remain calm and got to the nearest store. Thank you."**_

The mall became deathly silent after the announcement. Nothing was said and hardly anyone move. Not until a loud shriek echo loudly through all three levels of the mall: "It's a rogue vampire! "

Immediately panic erupted. Screams, cries, shouts, and just pure chaos rang in Yugi's ears as Atem started pull him through the panicking crowd of people. Atem guided Yugi through the chaos while avoiding the violent pushing and shoving. It would have been easier if Yugi actually cooperated with him, rather than being dead weight as he stumbled in the direction Atem continued to tug him in. However, Yugi's eyes were trained on the one person not running around and screaming, a perfectly still woman with skin pale as snow.

He had never seen anything like her before. Her hair was a mess of blonde tangles and looked in need of a wash. Her skin held no color. Her irises were black as coals and surrounded by a pool of vivid red, staring directly at him. It made Yugi's skin crawl.

Yugi's eyes widened in fear as he watched the woman start stalking towards them. The rogue wasn't focused solely on him though. With so much fresh blood running around, her senses were going wild. Yugi's violet eyes watch with horror as the rogue vampire settled down in a crouch before tackling an innocent boy to the ground. Her elongated fangs tore into his flesh effortlessly, like a warm knife slicing through cold butter. His screams, Yugi would never be able to forget them as he watch the rogue evilly tear his flesh off bit by bit.

Why wasn't anyone helping the boy? Why? Couldn't they see he was being mauled to death?! Yugi couldn't stand it. Even as the sight started to grow blurry as Atem moved them farther and farther away from the rogue vampire, Yugi could still see the details vividly. Skin and muscle were being torn off with each bite, fangs were digging deeper with each bite as the rogue worked her way to get direct access to the young child's jugular. Blood stained the mall's marble floors an angry burgundy with a large pool of the life giving liquid that only continued to grow. Those painful screams grew weaker and weaker until they were faint murmurs and then a deathly silence.

He didn't save him. No one had saved him. No one had come to his aid instead, they all ran for their lives not wanting to be the rogue's second meal. Yugi should have done something. He should have pulled away from Atem and went to rescue that boy. He should have fought to save the boy's life. But he hadn't, Yugi had let him did instead. He didn't even attempt to go save him. He just watched, that's all he had done.

Yugi heard the sound of the shopping bags hitting the ground before he was roughly shoved to the ground.

"Curl up! Protect your head!" Someone barked at him.

He couldn't recognize the voice, but he did as he was told. Yugi was in a state of shock. His mind was looping the memory of the rogue vampire killing the young boy over and over. All he could see was the death of that child, the child he didn't save. His hands were soaked in the blood of an innocent life. He hadn't help, it was his fault, his!

"Calm down, Yugi. Breath. In and out, in and out," Someone's warm breath tickled his ear as the soft calming whisper tried to ease his worries away.

He could breath, but that child would never take a breath again. He should have been the one to die, not that child. Not an innocent kid who committed no sin.

'_Yugi, calm down. It wasn't your fault. You couldn't save him, even if you tried. The first wound was already fatal. He was gone the moment he lost grip of his mother's hand. You didn't cause his death, now relax. It's okay now,'_ The words of the soothing voice in his head ended put an end to the instant replay of the rogue vampire murdering a child. The memory was pushed to the further part of his mind as wave of blissful calmness cleansed his terrified mind. His mind became less focus on the tramatizing event until the teen had forgotten it completely. And slowly, he began to notice things around him that he hadn't known.

His body was sandwiched between the cold tile floor of a public restroom floor and a warm body that could only belong to Atem. He was in a small restroom, only meant for one person to occupy at a time. The light was off and the only sound was Yugi's uneven breathing and Atem's even breaths. Yugi closed his eyes and placed his cheek against the cool tile floor. He felt extreme mentally and physically exhaustion, but he knew couldn't rest, not yet at least. He still had to leave this mall without being killed by the rogue creating hell just outside the bathroom's door, go home and help Atem put his things away, and he also had feed Yami.

"Are you good?" Atem concerned voice whispered into his eyes, his warm breath ghosting against Yugi's skin.

"I will be, just…tired," He answered trying to sound strong and not like the coward he felt like.

Yugi felt one of Atem's hands press his head against the floor lightly and hold him there. "Stay completely still. Don't move not even when the door is opened."

Yugi felt Atem's weight vanish from his body, only leaving the cold as he took the comforting heat with him. Yugi heard a soft click followed by a small ray of light starting to illuminate the bathroom. He could hear heavy breathing, almost like panting.

_**"Blood. Need blood,"**_ The voice was sinister, demonic, and completely evil.

Yugi fought with himself and kept completely still just as Atem had instructed him to do. It became harder and hard not to move as the breathing grew louder and louder in his eardrum. It was almost as if the rogue was breathing directly into his ear. There was a cold gust of air against his cheek and Yugi's heart skipped several beats. He tried to tell him it was just a gust of wind from the air condition in the mall, but the tuff of air was blown on his cheek again…and again…and again.

It was breathing on him. The rogue now on top of his body, breathing in his scent.

_**"Alive. Fresh blood. Give me. Give me – Argh!"**_

A loud thud followed by a sickening crack caused Yugi to disobey Atem's orders and lift his head to investigate the sound. Just outside the bathroom, was Atem pinning the rogue vampire against the cement wall. Yugi watched with terror in his eyes as the creature covered in blood tried to bite at Atem's neck.

_**"Found you! I found you! Master will be so pleased!"**_ The demonic creature cooed with joy as it broke free from Atem's grasp. _**"Must feed. Must have your blood!"**_

Atem didn't say anything to the creature as he dodged a slash from claws that was sloppily aimed for his face and chest. The creature continued to try to land any type of blow on the royal vampire. Kicks, slashes, pounces, punches, and bites were all avoided by the Original. He was light on his feet and even fast despite having slept for a thousands of years. However those quick dodges and narrow escapes were dwindling as time passed onward.

The rogue vampire once again pounced at Atem and this time, the purest of pureblood vampires didn't dodge the attack. He countered it with his own attack, flickering his palm towards the filthy creature driven mad by blood. His own shadow darted out towards the creature at the speed of sound . Just inches away from tackling the Original vampire, the rogue vampire was engulfed completely by Atem shadow.

_**"No! Must kill! Must kill the king! Must feed! Must drink! His blood, Master wants his blood!"**_ The same words were repeated over and over at Atem as the rogue tried to fight off his shadow. The creature was just wasting energy as it wrestled with the black matter.

Yugi could tell Atem had enough of the insane vampire. The man's brow scrunched together in annoyance and let out a loud tsk. His hand outstretched towards the stretching rogue slowly start curl into a tight fist. As his fingers curled inward, the rogue screams became louder and even more painful. It was when Atem's hand was fully curled into a fist, did Yugi's start to notice how the rogue vampire's head started swell. The pressure in Atem's fist continue to grow while the rogue's head continued to expand slight until finally, it popped

Blood, bits of bone, and brain matter splattered in all directions, coating everything in red. Yugi's pupils dilated as he felt wetness splatter on his hands and on top of his head. Removing his hands from the back of his neck, the human brought them in front of his face. Dots of bright red littered the backs of his hands in small dots.

Yugi's body grew cold and his stomach twisted into knots, threatening to empty out everything he had consumed that day. Closing his eyes, Yugi fought with everything he had to keep his breakfast and Diet Coke down. _'You've seen worse. Just don't look. You've seen worse. Don't look at it. '_ He chanted the words over and over in his head. It was the truth, Yugi had seen worse. Atem making the rogue vampire's head pop just like a balloon under too much pressure, wasn't as bad as Yami dismembering Ushio and the other thugs in front of his eyes. Though both were equals in their gore.

Opening his eyes, Yugi mustered the strength to stand up on his legs, but he didn't do anything more. He kept his gaze on the original as Atem glared at the headless body of the rogue on the ground. His focused was on Atem although, was no better than the corpse; covered head to toe with random splatters of blood. Even so, Yugi tried to keep his eyes off the bloody corpse the best he could. That was until Atem started to poke the dead body with tip of Ryou's black and white Vans.

"Don't do that! Don't touch it!" Yugi snapped at Atem in a shaky voice. He was hoping he sound strong with the little bit of bravo he had which, was the exact opposite of what he sounded like. His hands were fist by his sides. Yugi was trying to not shake but the fearful quivers still occurred every few seconds.

Atem said nothing but he did removed his shoe from the corpse. He used to pad of his thumb to wipe his left cheek, cleaning it from a small splatter of blood. When the vampire went to lick his thumb, Yugi closed his eyes and turned his head away from the sight. Why the hell is he tasting that?! Yugi swallowed, suppressing the bile that was beginning to rise in his throat. The human was starting to think the world wasn't strange, just Atem.

When Yugi reopened his eyes, the corpse was gone and Atem was gathering their shopping bags. Yugi looked at the original vampire and then back to the ground where the dead rogue used to lay.

"W-Where did the body go?"

"It is being disposed of," His answer was short and vague and Yugi didn't question it. The less he knew, the better.

"What…What type of rogue vampire was that? I…I've never anything like it," Yugi hugged himself, trying to keep his cool. He already had lost it once, he wasn't going to lose it a second time.

"I'm not sure," Atem replied calmly as if nothing had ever happened and offered a hand to Yugi. "Come, Let us go back to your home."

* * *

_**An: **_I love the relationship between Yugi and Atem. It's interesting...

I hoped this chapter was enjoyable, I had a blast writing it. If you don't mind, I would like to hear what your favorite part of Traitor is so far.  
I like the escalator part. I got the idea when I went to the mall last weekend and seen a little kid freaking out while riding one. I plan on bringing it up later on in the story.

I really, really want to give a shout out to all of my followers, favorite-ers, and reviewers.  
You guys are amazing. I adore you and am very grateful for your support. I support all of you back and you send you love from characters who are gay and have starfish shaped hair.

Since this one was mostly Atem and Yugi, the next chapter focuses more on Yami and Yugi.  
Also, the second feeding and some more fun events take place!

Thank you very much for your support.  
Remember to read and review! :)  
**Edited on: Oct. 28, 2016.**


	8. Night VIII: The Second Feeding

**Night Eight:  
The Second Feeding**

* * *

Everything passed by in a blur of colors and disorientated shapes. Even so, Yugi continued to peer outside the window from the back seat of the taxi he and Atem were currently riding in. Neither of them had spoken a word to each other since they entered into the white Toyota Prius, ten minutes ago. It was a tense silence between the two, as Yugi alternated from looking out the window to Atem, who settled for leaning against the car's back passenger door with his eyes closed.

Yugi let his eyes drift to Atem again, his purple hues taking in the exhausted form of his companion before going back to gaze at the scenery outside his window. His hands curled and uncurled into fist as they laid on his lap with disgust. He couldn't stand how calm his mind felt. It wasn't natural, not to him at least. When he reflected back on the events that took place at DCM, Yugi's mind would make the scene hazy then a voice would draw his thoughts and attention away from it. A low smooth tantalizing voice which Yugi had no choice, but to follow its command. It wasn't fair; he didn't ask for his mind to be tampered with in a way that made him unable to even focus on the traumatizing event. If Atem had not have saved him from the rogue vampire, then Yugi would be demanding him to let him remember the traumatic experience clearly. But for now, he could only politely leave the vampire to his moment of peaceful rest while he silently seethed about it. Yugi just hoped it wasn't a permanent effect from Atem's compulsion. Although it was one of the worst memories he had in his mind, it was still his memory to keep.

The human glanced out of the corner of his eye at the Pharaoh for the fifth time since the beginning of their cab ride. Everything seemed so off when he thought about Atem. It was nothing like the way he had been taught by the International Vampire Hunter Association, how vampires should act. It was like how his old self viewed vampires, before the giant mess he forced himself into. Back when his heart wasn't exposed to the cruelty of the world and he accepted everyone for who they were, regardless of race and ethnicity. Atem made Yugi feel the like he was in the presence of a close friend or a family member, not like the stranger and dangerous creature he was.

"We're here."

Yugi looked away from Atem, when the taxi driver spoke and the car slowed to a stop. His eyes looked out the front window to see the game shop just about three meters away…with a familiar black car parked by the front of the shop.

The vampire hunter trainee's breath hitched in his throat, unable to muster a response to the cab driver. It wasn't till he heard the sound of the car door opening, did he snap out of his daze. Violet eyes locked onto Atem as the vampire opened the car door and started to climb out of the car.

"Don't!" Yugi shouted, pulling Atem back into the car and scrambling over him to pull the door close with a loud slam. Atem's face was an expression composed surprise from Yugi's sudden rash actions. He was completely baffled by Yugi's retaliation to him getting out of the car, and slightly appalled that he dared to treat someone of royalty in such a rude manner.

"Is there something wrong? If not, pay up and leave. I got places to go and money to make,"The Taxi driver said rudely with a huff as he glanced at Yugi and Atem through his rear view mirror.

"Could you just act like we're not here and you're on break for a bit?" Yugi asked the driver as he attempted to shove Atem's head down, but the vampire was resisting to do so. "I'll pay you a hefty tip, just let us stay here in the cab until that car is gone," He nodded his head in the direction of the black Cadillac stationed outside his home.

"Depends how much that tip will be," The driver spoke over Atem's growl before he turned in his seat to look at the vampire growling wearily. "I don't think your friend there," He gestured to Atem with a nod of his head, "likes being manhandled."

"Stop touching me, Yugi!" Atem snapped at the human with venom in his voice, as he freed himself from Yugi's hands.

Yugi shrugged his shoulders before forcing Atem's upper body to hunch over, placing all of his weight on the man's back to keep him in the uncomfortable position. " He'll live."

Yugi felt more than heard the low grumbling from the Original vampire. He hated the fact that he had possible just awoken a sleeping monster, but he couldn't let it bother him when another monster was already awake and threatening his life. With the IVHA at his doorstep, Yugi couldn't take the chance of them spotting Atem. What if they knew about him too? Yugi wasn't going to hold it above the organization of vampire hunters. He knew that they had spies that had eyes and ears in many places. No doubt someone could have potentially overheard something about the 'long-lost' king's return.

"Get. Off. Now," Atem slowly ordered Yugi, articulating each word sharply, to highlight an unheard threat.

"If I do, promise me you'll stay low? I don't want to take the chance of 'them' seeing you. I'll be in loads of troubles, " The human spoke clearly to Atem with no harshness in his tone. " You will be too."

The royal vampire shifted underneath Yugi and pushed the boy gently off him. He straightened his back while his maroon colored eyes gave the taxi driver and icy glare, striking fear into the man's heart before he settled himself more comfortably in the backseats of the Prius. The Pharaoh then awkwardly slid down into his seat, low enough so his head couldn't be seen. He crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes stubbornly, like a child being forced to do something they did not want to. "Satisfied?"

Yugi smiled when the vampire cooperated with him.

Lowering himself to a similar position, the human hummed out his approval. " Very much so, thank you."

Atem said nothing afterwards and the car fell into silence. Not even the driver bothered to start a conversation, too busy with texting someone on his old Samsung flip phone. Yugi, however, kept a watchful eye on his adobe. Seconds tick by slowly, etching in to painfully long minutes. Finally after ten minutes of waiting, a tall regal man with long silver hair and sporting a stunning scarlet business suit that was demanded to be noticed. Yugi's violet eyes that were normally warm with emotion, were cold and void of any emotion as he watch the Director of the IVHA leave his home. The human chewed on his bottom lips anxiously as he waited for Pegasus climb in his car and one of his unneeded body guards to take him as far away as he could possibly get from his home.

"Who is that man?" Atem asked Yugi, apparently he had chosen to sit up and watch Yugi's biggest bully leave the comfort of the Mutou home.

The taxi driver snorted loudly and gave Atem a funny look. "How do you not know that man? That's Maximillion Pegasus, one of the most unmistakable faces in Japan! His face is plastered everywhere!"

Atem leaned back, his back pressing against the rear seat of the Prius. His wine red eyes glued on something outside his window. "Unmistakable? Plastered? I've never seen or heard of him before now. Yugi what was his business at your home's shop?" Atem said almost sounding bored with the conversation.

Yugi, still laying low in his seat, eyes shifted between Atem and the taxi driver. He was about to speak up, but the car's operator beat him to the punch. "How can you not know he face of your own enemy?! He's a triple threat to our kind! A former elite hunter, lots of power in a lot of place, not to mention he's the leader of Domino's branch of the IVHA and the Eastern Hemisphere's representative! Are you a new born?"

Yugi visible seen Atem's entire body tense at the insult. The human thought death had come to claim the taxi driver's life when Atem's head slowly turned toward the man with messy short black hair and chocolate brown eyes. The vampire's eyes were swirling with rage, once a cool maroon was now a flaming inferno of crimson. "Did you just call me something as lowly as a newborn just because I have no idea who someone is?"

Yugi felt his heart skip several beats out of fear and concern for the other vampire's own life. Atem's voice was cold as steel that was left out in a blizzard in Antarctica. Yugi could see a familiar black mist slowly crawling its way into the taxi from all directions. "What gives you the right to speak to me in such a manner!? I will have you know I am –"

"A very cranky vampire because I have yet to feed you, "Yugi quickly interjected, cutting Atem off before he could blow his own cover to defend his pride. Yugi sighed in relief when he notice the black Cadillac was no longer parked outside of the game shop. "Looks like it's safe to go inside our home now! Thank you for the ride, kind sir and please, excuse my friend's rudeness. He's only had animal blood this week," Yugi spoke in a rushed sputter. Pulling out his wallet and placing all the cash he had on him, into the man's hand before opening his door. He all but dragged Atem out of the car so they could get their shopping bags from the trunk and store them away in his room.

* * *

When Yugi entered his family's game shop, he expected it to see it running like normal with a few customers browsing the shelves. That wasn't the case when he entered the shop with his arms full of his Christmas gifts and Atem's clothes.

Instead, he was immediately bombarded by angered customers taking their frustrations out on him. One by one they spoke to him all relaying the same story; his grandfather had told him he need do something in the back for a moment and they've been wait for the past twenty minutes to be checked out. Sighing Yugi handed shifted the heavy bags of gifts and held them out to Atem. "Take these upstairs and place them in my room, please? I need to take care of the shop."

Atem gave an understanding nod of his head before taking the bags from Yugi and already making his way upstairs. "I will be in your room if you need me."

Yugi gave Atem's retreating form an odd look, raising his eyebrow questioningly. He was puzzled by why the former Pharaoh said he would be in his room. Brushing the thought aside to deal with later, Yugi maneuvered through the last minute Christmas shoppers to ring up their items and send them on their merry way. As he did so, it made him wonder just where his grandfather had wondered off to, leaving the shop unmanned. It wasn't like him to leave the cash register with so many customers in the store.

Settling behind the cash register, Yugi pushed his long sleeves up and started to scan the first of many items. When he finished giving their loyal customers the proper care the deserved and an apology, he was going to look for the old coop that was his grandfather and give him an earful about leaving the shop with no one to tend to it.

"Thank you, come again!" Yugi gave the final angered customer a cheerful goodbye before slumping back against the wall with a tired sigh. He completely exhausted, having to deal with the sass from some of the customers as he scanned their items and calculated how much they owed for their last minute gifts. His violet eyes looked around the store duly, almost all of their shelves were deprived of any merchandise. Yugi inwardly groaned at the sight that foreshadowed the back-breaking work he would be partaking in all day tomorrow. That is, if he could even move at all after this evening. The human closed his eyes, hoping to forget about the task he being forced to partake in this evening. The dreaded task of fulfilling his duty as Yami Sennen's blood source.

Yugi suppressed a groan as he forced himself to move away from his comfortable position slouched against the wall behind the game shop's store counter. He distracted himself from the idea of having his blood being stolen from him, by making his mind focus on the tedious task of tracking down his grandfather. He need to say thing or two to the old man about abandoning his post at the store during the holiday season.

Strange enough, Yugi didn't have look for too long before he found his grandfather in the very back of the shop in one of their storage rooms. Yugi found the old man holding a private conversation on the phone, oblivious to his surroundings as he spoke into the phone's receiver.

"For the last time, he will be home shortly. My grandson just went out to do a bit of shopping," Yugi made no motion to move when he heard the annoyed tone in his grandfather's voice. It seemed so foreign to Yugi, he hadn't heard that tone in a very long time.

Yugi blinked curiously as he watch his grandfather start pacing around the room with his eyes closed and a hand pinching the skin in between his eyes and on the bridge of his nose. "If I knew where he was, I would have told you that the first time you asked me, Yami," The old man's voice stressed, fighting to keep calm.

Yugi's tilted his head as he watch his grandfather walk in small circles, surprised by how the elder seem not notice his presence by the door. "It's possible he went to the mall, but you have nothing to worry about Yami. Yugi is as strong as they come, he can handle himself just fine," The old man said sounding slightly proud. Yugi couldn't help but smile lightly at the comment. Had it been someone other than his grandfather, he would have blushed and denied it.

The conversation between his grandfather and Yami continued on for several minutes. Although he was listening in on his grandfather's side, Yugi could tell little from the phone call. And other than having the information that Yami was looking for him, there was nothing for him to learn. His grandfather was only giving Yami 'yes', 'no' and 'I don't know', whenever the vampire must have stopped chattering. Unable to let his grandfather go through the torture of speaking to the vampire any longer, Yugi stepped further into the room to take over the call, however, he was frozen by his grandfather's words the moment he took his first step.

"What do you mean a rogue vampire was at Domino City Mall? There's no way a creature like that could get into such a highly populated area in the middle of the day."

Yugi kept still, so did his grandfather. He waited for his grandfather, not wanting to interrupt anything incase Yami was giving him information.

"If it was a false report of two class C rogues, then what was it?" His grandfather words sounded almost angered by what Yami was telling him.

"T-Twenty? Are you sure? Twenty casualties?"

Yugi's heart nearly stopped in his chest. Twenty casualties, twenty people who had been physically harmed or killed by the rogue he had watched Atem kill before his eyes. For only one rogue vampire, the number was high, too high. He hoped it was only minor casualties like someone being injured after being trampled over in the panicking crowd. He didn't want to think of someone else possibly dying from the attack.

The pause this time was longer and Yugi could see his grandfather starting to shake. " A-Are you implying…?" Solomon trailed off never finishing his sentence, but from his physical appearance Yugi could guess his words. 'Are you implying my grandson is dead?'

The seventeen year old could almost feel his grandfather's growing fear. Determined not to allow his grandfather think about the possibility of him even being dead for another second, Yugi walked towards his grandfather. Once behind the old man, Yugi tapped his shoulders and placed a fake scowl on his face, almost like he was angry.

Solomon's head turned to look behind him, dark violet eyes moistened by the threat of tears stared into youthful amethyst orbs. The tension quickly vanished from the room as Solomon offered Yugi a warm welcoming smile. Unable to fake his anger when his grandfather wore such a heartwarming smile, Yugi gave the old man his own goofy grin. "You forgot about the customers. You better be glad I got home when I did, no doubt they were about to wreck the shop!"

The elder mouthed a 'thank you' to his grandson as he waited for the 'Prince' to give him a chance to speak.

"Yami, Yami, Yammiiiiiiiiii!" The old man's cheerful voice called out to the vampire on the other side of the phone line. "Yugi is home now."

Not even two seconds after the words had been uttered from his mouth, Solomon was holding the phone out to his only grandchild. "Have fun and play nice, Yugi."

The seventeen year old rolled his eyes at his grandfather's teasing words before he placed the wireless home phone to his ear. He could be nice to Yami, but it didn't mean it would be any fun. "Hello?"

_"Where have you been all day?! I've been trying to get a hold of you in every way possible! Did you forget about our plans today? I told you not to go out today, it is not safe to be wandering around the city unaccompanied."_

Yugi closed his eyes trying to suppress the headache he already felt forming behind his temples. He felt slightly guilty, knowing his grand must have been putting up. "And I told you that I wasn't canceling them and I was going shopping with my cousin, therefore I wasn't alone. As for your questions, I was at a mall for most of the day with my cousin and no, I did not forget about our 'plans' today," Yugi let out and aggravated huff. "Lady Isis told me I was to come feed you when I was available."

Yugi heard a growl from the other side of the phone before a heavy sigh. _"Are you available now?"_

" No, I'm not," Yugi firmly stated.

_"Human – !"_

"I have to put my Christmas presents in their hiding spot before my grandfather tries to snoop," He quickly added, silencing Yami and earning a groan from the other.

_"Having a claimed feeder is not worth this going through this."_

Yugi felt his temper flare up at Yami's words. He wasn't sure if the other male even he had said them before they slipped out of his mouth, but it was too late now.

"If it is so bad, then go find a different human!" The hunter in training snapped into the phone. "I know very well, how your claiming works! You don't have to have me as your feeder! Not unless you've bitten me three times! So if you don't want to deal with me, then be my guest and just leave me be!"

_"It does not work that way, and who told you about the clamming?"_ Yami quickly responded. _"Was it Bakura's of Marik's feeders?"_

"No!" Yugi shouted automatically. "It wasn't them it was another friend, one who you don't know of," His voice grew quieter and Yugi instinctively looked down at the floor. He wasn't sure why he did so, but it made him feel incredibly childish; Yami wasn't even in the room let alone in his home!

_"Then I expect to meet this 'friend' someday,"_ Yami's low baritone voice left Yugi no room to argue, nor the chance. _"The day I do, you can correct him about the claiming. After a vampire bites a human, one of three things must take place: the human is killed off; the human's memories are erased or, the human has to be claimed as a feeder, be it force or willingly."_

Yugi swallowed dryly and took a deep breath to calm himself. "Can you just modify it so we don't have to do any of them?"

_"It is not within my power to be able to bend such laws. It was put in place before my rule."_

"You're the leader now!" Yugi pointed out, almost hysterical. "It's your law now; your kingdom! You're the ruler of the vampires Yami, can't you just look over it this one time? "

_"I am not the leader of my race,"_ The vampire growled out lowly over the phone so low, it sent shivers down Yugi's spine. _"I'm just a placeholder until the Sacred Guardians have found someone able to claim the throne. I merely just sit in the damn chair and look the part. The nobles and Guardians take care of everything."_

"Because you're not an Original or from the royal family?" Yugi questioned.

_"Precisely – Wait, you know of originals?"_ Yami sounded completely baffled by surprise.

"My grandpa has a lot books in his study that covers a lot of things on vampires," Yugi admitted casually. "It comes in handy for history class."

_"Hnn,"_ Yami made a disapproving sound over the telephone's receiver but made no verbal comment.

Yugi felt irked by the lack of response though, he didn't act on it. The boy shook his head, trying to clear the growing vexation he felt. "Are you sure you can't at least try to convince them to let you out of this? I really prefer not to...you know, be bitten once a week maybe more?"

A heavy frustrated sigh followed by a soft thud echoed in Yugi's ears before Yami spoke in stressed voice. _"This is not up for debate Yugi. You're stuck with this, just as much as I am._"

"It's beneficial for you! Not me, who has to bare the pain of you feeding from me! Not to mention when the claiming is finalized I'll be stuck with you in my head! There's things I keep to myself that even my grandpa, doesn't need to know! I don't want one of my classmates, let alone the king of the vampires, to be evading into my mind! And I know for a fact, I do not want to know what goes in your mind either."

_"What in the hell are you blubbering about? Nothing like that is going to happen! Obviously your 'friend' has clearly mislead your mind!"_ Yami declared, bringing back up the previous conversation.

"Even if that is true, I still trust his words over yours!" Yugi testified and made 'hmph' sound. He wasn't lying, he trusted Atem more than Yami, even though he only had been able hold a decent conversation with the Egyptian for only a day  
.

"_You're even more of mulish than the former king,"_ Yami hissed out in annoyance. "_Even if you persist that I take someone else as a feeder, I cannot."_

"Why!? Are you that afraid of your council? I could always say I have family connections to the vampire hunters, which could change their mind into letting me live a 'normal' life," Yugi tried to convince Yami. He was willing to get himself out of this mess by any means, even revealing that his grandpa and parents had connections to the IVHA. If Yami would reject him as a feeder, then maybe he could get of this mission. He wouldn't have to worry about being caught and treated as a criminal who committed high treason against the vampires, nor would he have to worry about the threats Pegasus has promised to carry out. He refused to have his friends dragged into this mess, but the thought of them noticing he was affiliated with the vampire hunters, plagued his mind even more.

Yugi could imagine their reactions and knew it wasn't far from what would truly happen if best friends discovered he had been training to be hunter in the future. They would be devastated, unable to accept the truth then attempt to ignore him or worse, think their friendship was merely nothing more than an act. He already knew the bitterness Malik held towards hunters, one of the senior in the association had all but killed Marik last spring. Yugi could still remember the pitiful state his close friend had been in and the bragging of the hunter as he 'slayed' one of Yami's elite guard. Not to mention there was also Jonouchi too, he and Yugi have been best friend since they were in primary school. Jou would be more than just depressed over the fact if his best friend was a part of a group that plotted his total inhalation; Yugi was sure he wouldn't even be the same person anymore.

_"There's been no objections so far, the Sacred Guardians are already aware of your grandfather's previous engagements with the Vampire Hunters,"_ Yami firm voice stated, bringing Yugi's attention back to his current dilemma.

"What about if they try to kill me to get to you? What if other try to do the same?" Yugi purposed the situations to Yami, leaning against the closet wall to him. He could feel himself losing this battle quickly, his mental exhaustion from the day's events taking their toll on both his body and mind. "You'll be out of a feeder then."

_"Me claiming you,"_ Yami began before sighing, all harshness leaving the tone of his voice. _"Was for your own good. You've been provide full security every day until the day you are no longer my feeder. I won't hear anymore of this subject."_

"But – "

"_No 'buts', now go get ready. Mahaad is on his way to bring you here for our arranged meeting. He'll be there in twenty minutes."_

Yugi wasn't left with any option but to obey Yami, the pureblood vampire had quickly hung up the phone after his words before Yugi could argue with him. The human released a frustrated groan before banging his head lightly against the wall. His mind screamed 'Why?' loudly as he collected himself. He would have lingered longer in the storage room, but he quickly reminded himself that he had left Atem upstairs in his room…alone.

Yugi shuddered at the thought of the ancient vampire with hardly any knowledge of the modern world, being in his room to be able to do as he please. Setting the wireless telephone down on one of the many cardboard boxes in the room, Yugi took off towards his room afraid what state he would find it in.

ugi found himself zipping past his grandfather, not even noticing him as he rushed by. When he reached the stairs that lead to the living portion of his home, he took them by twos and nearly slipped twice before reaching the top. His fear for having Atem unsupervised in his room, propelled the boy to move faster, not bothering with removing his shoes as he made his way through his home. The human loudly rushed up the second flight of stairs and hurried towards his bedroom, finding the door only slightly ajar.

"Atem – " Yugi started to call out as he pushed open his door. The seventeen year old was half expecting to find the vampire going through his things or causing chaos, when he opened the door. Instead, he found the former Pharaoh curled on his bed, bags placed on the floor next to the comfortable piece of furniture, while Atem was completely passed out and snoring lightly.

Yugi sighed in relief, his shoulder sagging and his upper body sagging as the tension left him. Toeing out of his shoes, Yugi quietly tip-toed into his room towards his desk chair. His eyes never leaving Atem's unconscious form, even as he took as seat in the soft mobile leather chair stationed at his desk. He couldn't help but smile at the relax expression on the vampire's face. He looked harmless, peaceful just as the day he first spied him inside the sarcophagi but now, he was much healthier.

Yugi folded his arms on his desk and placed his head on top of them as he watched the sleeping Atem. His mind was making small comparisons to his current state to when he first 'met' the Pharaoh. His skin was a perfectly polished sun-kissed bronze, no longer plagued by the ash color tent of death. He was still frail, his body almost refusing to gain weight even, despite the proper care Yugi had been providing him. Overall, Atem looked healthy and alive. He didn't show any signs of distress or age. He was a perfect picture of exotic beauty and health, even with the slight drool dribbling down his cheek from parted lips.

The more Yugi examined Atem, the more and more he realized how the vampire didn't appear like a king. He was young, far too young to be a king in Yugi's opinion. Despite his true age of at least being three-thousand year old, Atem looked to be his age maybe a year or two more. His sharp facial features still had a slight roundness from his youth, giving Atem the appearance of an innocent sleeping teen ignorant of the cruelty of the world. Looking away from Atem, Yugi spotted a red letter envelope on is nightstand next to his full-sized bed. The human glared at it with annoyed violet orbs. 'Pegasus.' Said man's eerie face flashed into Yugi's mind. No doubt that letter concealed their first meeting date, however, Yugi was too lazy to bother with it at the moment. Turning his face into the crook of his elbow, Yugi closed his eyes hoping to catch a bit of rest before he was to depart to his dreaded 'feeding' with Yami.

When Yugi opened his eyes again, he greeted by the sight of his grandfather covering Atem up with an extra blanket from their linen closet. The boy sat up slowly, stretching his arms out above him as he let out a silent yawn. Yugi wiped his eyes, making sure he had no mattering around them. "Is someone from Yami's here yet?" Yugi asked his grandpa, his voice barely a whisper, mindful of the sleeping vampire on his bed.

Solomon looked behind him, nodding to his grandson as he tip-toed away from the sleeping Atem. "A man is wait down stairs in the shop for you," The elder whisper as he moved away from the sleeping vampire and more towards his grandchild. "What did you do to him?" The elderly man gestured his hand back towards Atem, "He's completely out of it. I've only seen Jonouchi-san sleep so deeply."

Yugi glanced at Atem, a smile attempting to pull his lips up in the corner. The sight of seeing Atem sleeping in his bed was surreal compared to the things Yugi had seen him do at the mall, it provided to remind him of the Pharaoh's condition. "His body must not have been used to the strain of carrying shopping bags," Yugi cover his mouth as he laughed lightly, "He's been laying in a coffin for thousands of years. It must have been torture for him." Although the words had left his mouth, Yugi didn't believe them himself. When they were at DCM, Atem seemed to be enjoying himself other than when he came in contact with items of 'dark magic'. Yugi hoped Kaiba wouldn't be too mad him for the small dilemma Atem created for him.

Yugi and his grandfather exchanged smiles before both of them exited Yugi's room, Yugi grabbing his black and white Vans as they left. "You'll watch him closely, right Grandpa?" Yugi asked with hope.

"Of course, I don't want him creating a mess with in my home. I'll be sure to keep one eye on him and my ears keen. You have nothing to worry about," His grandfather reassured Yugi and patted his shoulder lightly. "I'll make sure your playboy magazines won't get messed up."

"Grandpa!" Yugi nearly shrieked from embarrassment, his checks becoming inflamed from the unnecessary comment. The seventeen year old gave his grandpa an annoyed look before making his way down stairs. "I don't care if he looks at them, the Pharaoh wouldn't even know what they are. Plus I'm seventeen, I could buy more or get some from Jonouchi," Yugi try to sound confident in his words, but his embarrassment was making it harder to do that.

Once at the bottom of the stairs, Yugi slipped on his shoes. He grabbed one of his light weight coats from the coat closet and pulled it on over his long sleeve shirt. Ready to go, despite his slightly messy hair, Yugi started to head down to the game shop, but his grandfather stopped him with urgency in his voice. "Wait Yugi!"

"Huh? What is it Grandpa?" Yugi replied, his head turned to the side so he could look over his shoulder at his grandfather.

"Today, the Director came…"

"And gave you a letter, which is on my nightstand still, " The boy finished his grandfather's sentence for him with a cheerful smile. "Don't worry, I'll deal with it when I get home from dealing with Yami," He reassured his only grandparent. "I'll be home later. I'll call you if I end up having to stay for the night."

"I'll be waiting for it. Bye Yugi, don't keep the man waiting too long," The old man spoke with a confident and teasing voice. "And don't let him take too much from you! I need a grandson who can help me stock the store, not a vegetable!"

Yugi smiled and shook his head as he started down the stairs to the shop. "Okay, bye Grandpa!" The human teen couldn't help but feel slightly anxious as he made his way down to the shop. He couldn't help but feel like his life was about to become more complex than he was even able to imagine, especially since Pegasus had shown up to his house personally to give him a letter and now he was on his way to the first feeding with Yami. Yugi could only hope his loved ones would be safe as he descended deeper into his own personal Hell.

* * *

The drive to the Muran estate was long and quiet. No words had been spoken towards him from Mahaad and it made Yugi wonder if he had done something to the Egyptian. Even when he gained the courage to speak up and ask if something was wrong, the priest was persistent in keeping up his silent game. Yugi noticed during the entire duration of their drive, Mahaad was gripping the steering wheel of his Cadillac ELR couple so tightly, his knuckles had turning white. It amazed Yugi when Mahaad finally released the wheel after they had parked in front of the elegant mansion, it hadn't been malformed by his viper like grip.

The tension that came from Mahaad made Yugi paranoid. He wasn't afraid of the man, but Mahaad's current attitude made Yugi second guess his first impression of the man. He had always liked Mahaad, he was kind, had a warm atmosphere surrounding, and was born with an odd taste of fashion. Today was an expectation, Mahaad was the 'Mahaad' Yugi had met last week. He was quiet, intimidating, and wore a black suit that resembled something a pallbearer from a funeral would wear. After they both exited the car, Mahaad escort Yugi inside the estate silent was the nonexistent wind around them. The moment the pitch black heavy double doors opened, Yugi came face to face with an emotionless Yami. His crimson eyes were blazing more than normal, and his skin paler than freshly fallen snow. He did nothing to help soothe Yugi's nerves instead, Yami terrified him. His blazing red eyes reminded Yugi of the sinister looking ones from the rogue he encounter earlier that day.

"Yugi," The way his name sounded when Yami spoke, was like a haunting lullaby as the vampire gently took his hand, "Follow me."

Yami left no room for Yugi to deny him, already using the human's hand to pull him along as he traveled deeper into the gorgeous home. Yugi want to try and resist Yami from forcing him to walk at such a fast pace, he wanted to enjoy and take in the elegant décor around him and admire its beauty. He didn't want to agitate the vampire, Yugi could already tell something was amiss with the pure blood. Although Yami wasn't the most well behaved person he knew of, Yugi had never encountered such forcefulness from the vampire. Not even when he tried to escape from him on their way to school this past week.

They traveled up a large flight of stairs, took several turns down enormous hallways before entering a dark room through just a simple white wooden door. The moment they were inside the room, Yami released his wrist. Yugi took advantage of the loss of Yami's grasp on him, by nursing his aching wrist with light rubbing from his other hand. He didn't understand why the vampire had felt the need to drag him the entire way to the secluded room, he would have followed him still.

"Why did you – "

"How did you escape from him?" Anger tinted Yami's voice, making it lower than normal however, it was still high than Atem's. The vampire started to stalk closer towards Yugi, and the human took a step back for every step Yami took towards him.

"Escape from who?" Yugi held no fear in his voice as he answered Yami's question with his own. He wasn't afraid of Yami, though the feeling of fear of Atem being exposed was starting to creep into Yugi's mind. Yami asked him how did he escape from a 'him', but Yugi knew several men that he had been able to escape from. Though he had a feeling that his close encounters with vampires that had nearly killing him, wasn't what Yami was referring to.

"Do not try to be ignorant with me, Human," Yami's voice spoke lowly, as he cornered Yugi against the wall farthest from the room's entry door and next to locked glass French doors. He placed his hands on the wall, one on both sides of the human's head. "You're covered in his scent Yugi, every inch of you. Now how did you escape from 'him'? Why didn't you tell me over the phone you came in contact with a rogue?"

Yugi's violet eyes gazed into Yami's bright crimson, wide with fear. Reaching up to his neck the human felt the tingling sensation of cold terror, he forgot to place his concealing stone on himself before he left his house. Yugi's heart started to speed up its tempo and he clenched the fabric of his jacket right above the muscular organ. "Because the rogue…she's…she's dead now, so it doesn't matter."

"Not a she, a he! It's a he Yugi, a male rogue!" Yami corrected Yugi, his hands moved to rest on teen's shoulders and squeeze them lightly.

"I wasn't near a male rogue!" Yugi defended himself. "I was only with my grandfather and a family friend who I went shopping with!"

"Tch," Yami's eyes started to glow brighter by some unknown force. "He probably compelled you to forget about your encounter, damn fool." Yugi struggled against Yami, pushing at the other's chest with his eyes closed. He pulled at Yami's arms, trying to remove his hands from his shoulders. The hunter in training struggled against the hold, trying to think of a possible way to get out of the situation. Yugi could feel poking at his mind by an unknown force, he knew it was Yami try to compel his mind and tried his best to think of anything other than about what Yami wanted. However, Yugi was finding it harder and harder to do such, his mind kept thinking about the panic at the mall. The unwanted memories kept flashing in his mind, masked by a static cover. He kept forcing the image away every time it popped up in his head.

'Yami is trying to see Atem, the Pharaoh, his lover! Don't let him see, he can't see that!' Yugi chanted over and over in his mind, not wanting Yami to peep at his memories of his day at the mall. He didn't want him to see Atem there with him, he had to keep the other safe. Safe from –

Yugi felt like a complete moron. Yami was smelling Atem's scent on his body, and from the information Mana had accidently released, Yami and most of the Sacred Guardians thought Atem was monster out for blood. The human took in a deep breath before using all of the strength his body could conjure up, to push Yami away from him. Surprisingly, Yugi felt the vampire's hands leave him and heard a soft 'umph!' Opening his eyes, Yugi found Yami several steps away from him, glaring with cold blood red eyes. Yugi tried to not let Yami's menacing glare get too him as he stood straight and curled his hands into tight fist at his sides.

"The. Rogue. Was. A. Female." Yugi firmly stated to Yami, his voice keeping even as it expressed his own outrage. His violet eyes swirled with raw emotions and dared Yami to challenge his statement.

Yami tilted his head up, smirking at the sight of the human trying to act 'tough' in front of him. "How do you know? Maybe he's influencing your mind so you think he was of the opposite sex."

"How do you know if she was a rogue vampire that you're mix up for another?" Yugi quickly responded, his eyebrow raising slightly at Yami. "Aren't you just assuming the worse?"

"I maybe," Yami started moving back to take a seat on the edge of bed Yugi hadn't noticed before. In fact, Yugi hadn't even noticed any detail in the room he was currently in. His eyes scanned the room quickly, soaking up the white furniture and dark grey walls. His eyes returned to Yami, seated comfortably on the edge of a king sized bed with four white wooden post that held up a dark grey canopy that matched the comforter of the bed. Only when Yugi's eyes had returned to his, did Yami continue to speak. "I rather be overly cautious than just assume everything is perfect. I was attacked brutally in front of the Guardians and the noble families, last night. I know the perpetrator's scent and voice very well," Yami pointed out, crossing his arms over his chest.

Yugi leaned back against the wall, more relaxed. He had heard both Mana's and Atem's versions of this story, but he had yet to hear it from Yami's. "Is that what Lady Isis, was worried about yesterday. You were attacked by a male rogue vampire?" Yugi tried to feign his shock, however, he wasn't the world's best actor.

Yami raised a questioning eyebrow at Yugi, looking uninterested in the boy's act. "I take it you already know this, but yes. He attacked me with his shadows and stole sacred blood that had been stored inside my body."

"Blood…The blood of the Original vampire I assume." Yugi added and looked down at his feet, not wanting to gaze into Yami's fierce red eyes. "Are you implying that the rogue who attacked you is connected to...to the 'Lost King'?"

"I am," Yami stated in a calm tone. It surprise Yugi somewhat at the fact Yami was actuallycalm despite him, his feeder who he barely knew, was able to make the connection of his attack to his former lover, who the public knew little about. "I believe that the former Pharaoh and ruler of the Vampire Kingdom was the one to attack me, and has fallen to his own blood lust."

Yugi allowed a pregnant pause to settle in the room after Yami's bold words, as he thought about how he should respond. He twiddled his thumbs as he thought, trying to think of something to that wasn't a lie, but kept him from admitting he unsealed Atem and had a direct connection to the man. A sigh interrupted Yugi's thoughts, causing the young human to look up. Yugi's violet eyes blinked in surprise as he spied Yami laying back on the bed his arms folded across his eyes. "How in the hell did that selfish bastard escape and not be completely insane? It doesn't make sense."

Yugi looked at Yami with violet eyes full of sympathy and concern. "Perhaps he had help from someone on the outside. Maybe they helped the former ruler escape instead of him going insane,"Yugi spoke softly watching as Yami sat up again to gaze at Yugi in bewilderment. The human could swear on his parents' grave that he saw relief in those vivid red eyes.

"Do you believe so?"

Yugi flashed Yami a smile and nodded. "Mhmm! I do. Grandpa alway taught me to assume the best and not the worse."

Yami looked away from Yugi, the relief leaving his eyes and once again, becoming cold rubies. Yugi wasn't sure what Yami was thinking, but the human was eager to move on from the subject. He could feel if they dwelled on it for too long, he would be seeing a side of Yami he would most likely want to avoid.

"So this claiming thing, how does it work exactly? I remember you said something about me becoming yours when first bit me, and you said my 'friend' explained it wrong…"

Yami's eyes glanced at Yugi, though his head never turned to face him directly. "Due to the law the former king's father created, a vampire who feed from a human more than once, or a pureblood who has used both lower and upper fangs to feed from a human; has to forge The Bond between the human and take them as their feeder. I accidently used both sets of my fangs when I fed from you…"

Yugi looked at Yami slightly confused. "And this is why who have to make me your official feeder now?"

"It caused you unnecessary pain, which I apologize for, but yes. This is why you are now my feeder, Yugi," Yami stated and averted his eyes from Yugi completely like a child. "Moving on," The vampire waved his hand dismissing any statement Yugi had to say. "The bond the feeder and vampire develop is only one that alerts one another when the other is distressed. It's only there for protection, nothing more. It also insures no one will be allowed to drink from the human other than the vampire who claimed them. The late king put the law into place and created the magic to end blood brothels. It also helped to keep the death rate of humans, down."

"So you can't read my mind?" Yugi said carefully, as he inched slightly closer to Yami with joyful relief in his eyes. "Thank God!"

The pureblood laughed lightly, it wasn't true laughter but one of faked amusement. "No, I won't be able to read your mind. Was that why you were so against becoming my feeder?"

Yugi shook his head. "It wasn't the main cause, but it was one of them. The others don't matter now," Yugi said shaking his head.

"Very well then, now come here," Yami ordered, his index finger making the universal gesture for Yugi to come to his side. The human hesitated, knowing what it would mean if he went to Yami's side. Going to Yami and letting him feed from his blood would mean, he was accepting the fact he had to spend most of his life as the man's personal blood bag. But Yugi knew he didn't have an alternative choice, he held no say so in his current situation. Between both Yami and Pegasus, Yugi was having to decide if he want to resist until he could no longer struggle, or go peacefully. He went with the latter, in hopes that maybe he could try to make oil and water combine together.

Yugi took tentative steps towards Yami, until his body was just a few inches away from the bed Yami was perched on. Yugi's arms remained crossed over his chest, his eyes cautiously observing the light smirk on Yami's face and his bright crimson eyes. "If you turn me into a living vegetable, you'll have to deal with my grandpa. He needs my help tomorrow in the game shop."

Yami reached out for Yugi, his hands going for the teen's hips and latching on to them. "I'll keep that in mind," He hummed before he pulled Yugi towards the bed then lifted him up and settled the human on his lap.

Yugi released an unmanly squeak when he was lifted up by his waist and forced to take a seat on Yami's lap. His back was pressed to Yami's front and the vampire's arms wrapped around his lithe waist to hold him in place. His normal pale facial skin started to morph into a bright red at the pureblood's actions. The warmth in his cheeks increased even greater when Yami nuzzled the left side of his neck in an almost loving way.

"What the hell are you doing?" Yugi asked with a sharp tongue and tried to pull away from Yami's embrace.

"It's better to feed this way," Yami responded and gave Yugi's neck an Eskimo kiss. "I'm trying to get you to relax, you're too tense. It'll hurt if you don't settle down."

Yugi blush darkened several shades when he felt Yami's nose rub gently against his neck. "Well you're doing to opposite of that and it's creeping me out. Stop it.\," Yugi complained and he moved his neck away from Yami, earning a low hiss from the vampire.

"How is it creepy?" Yami questioned Yugi, easing his grip on the human's hips. "I'm trying to provide comfort –"

"By nuzzling my neck like a cat?"

"Don't compare my instincts to a cat Yugi," Yami warned and started to nuzzle the human teen's neck once more, this time the nuzzling focused more on the area where his external jugular vein was located.

Yugi smiled as he slowly started to try and relax himself while ignoring Yami's physical gestures that did no help. The nuzzling switch to light feather like kisses and small nips to skin when his body relaxed and leaned back into Yami's, however, the moment didn't last long when the pureblood vampire emitted a soft rumbling sound from his chest.

"Y-You're purring!" Yugi busted out into a fit of laughter, bending over and holding his midsection. "Vampires must be part cat or at least, you!"

"Damn it Yugi!" Yami hissed and pulled the human back against his chest, holding him tightly as he pressed his cheek against the human's pulse point. "Just be quiet so I can feed. The quicker I'm finished, the quicker you can rest then go home. Deal?"

Yugi smiled as he leaned back into Yami, "Deal."

He allowed his eyes to slip close. Maybe being Yami's feeder wouldn't be so bad, not if the vampire treated him gentle like this. Yugi used a hand to cover his mouth and muffle his laughter when he felt Yami start his 'purring' once more, the action was never going to cease to amuse Yugi. The vampire finally removed one of his arms from Yugi's waist, using his hand to tilt Yugi's head up and to the right to expose more of Yugi's flesh. Yugi closed his eyes and removed his hand from his mouth so it could grip at the covers below them. Suddenly things weren't as amusing now that the reality that Yami was about to bit him started to sink in. Yugi could feel his heart kicking into overdrive as his adrenaline started to make his body hypersensitive. A familiar feeling calmed his nerves down as he thought about the adventures he encountered the high feeling of adrenaline, in. He was safer here in Yami's arms, than he was out there in the field of action.

"Good human," Yami chuckled under his breath and against Yugi's neck, causing the seventeen year old human to shiver. Yugi refrained from speaking out against Yami's false praise, too busy with distracting his mind from what was about to happen. The old joyful memories of surveying old battlefields and scoping out enemy territories provided useless when Yugi felt the pressure of Yami's top two fangs pressing lightly against his neck, directly above his pulse point and jugular.

"Relax, it'll be over quickly," Yami purred softly while the hand tilting Yugi's head up and out of the way, softly caressed the skin underneath the human's chin.

Yugi released his pent up breath when he did, Yami took the opportunity to sink his fangs into the soft skin.

There was pain, but it felt only like being pricked by needle. Once the sudden stinging sensation left Yugi's nervous system, the human only felt the awkward sensation of the vampire suckling on his neck. It sent a violent shiver done his back. "This… feels weird."

Yami's response was placing his hand over Yugi's mouth to prevent the human from speaking while he fed. It was roughly around that same time, when Yugi felt his head growing lighter and his body heavier. His eyelids started to struggle with staying open and his bright amethyst irises dulled as his vital fluid was drawn away from his body. Eventually, Yugi's body went completely slack against Yami. Mere seconds passed by at a speed that felt like years to Yugi while Yami drank heavily from him. When Yami removed his fangs from his neck, Yugi wasn't even aware the man had finished his feeding. Nor did he feel Yami's tongue sloppily lick the extra blood away from his neck wound before sealing it shut with his saliva. Yugi only felt Yami lowering him down to lay on the bed and something being pressed against the sensitive area where Yami's fangs had been. "Ouch."

"It'll be tender for a few day," Yami muttered as a response and gently making sure the bandage stuck to Yugi's skin securely. "Don't remove the bandage or move around for a few hours. You need time to recover." Yugi felt something warm and heavy pulled over his body as Yami spoke, before it was tucked around him. His lethargic mind slowly recognized it as the bed's comforter before he opened his eyes to look at Yami tiredly.

The first thing Yugi noticed about the vampire, was his eyes were no longer a bright fiery crimson but a beautiful mixture of magenta and violet. Yugi smiled at the sight, though he had no idea why. "Hey, has anyone told you, you have pretty eyes?" Yugi slurred out, not really registering what he was saying.

"Uh, no?" Yami looked at Yugi questionably.

"Well, you do and they do this weird thing. One moment they're blood red and then in the next, they're a different color. My cousin's eyes do the same thing, but his aren't as a dramatic change," Yugi blabbered out, causing Yami pounder if he had taken too much blood from the human. "I nice that you aren't you as reckless like him. At Domino City's mall today, I tried to take him on an escalator and he started speaking nonsense before these shadows attacked it and caused it to 'blow up' Like this – " Yugi sat up on the bed, his upper body swaying slightly as made and explosion gesture and a fitting sound effect.

"You went to the mall today? How did you survive the rogue attack?" Yami asked completely flabbergasted by the human's words.

"Aren't you listening? I told you he blew up a urinal. He also made someone's head pop. It went – Kaboom!" Yugi made popping sound with his mouth as he leaned forward, supporting his bodyweight on his hands and knees. His clouded violet eyes glaring at Yami's auburn gems. "He made such a big mess, Kaiba-kun's going to be furious. "

Not one thing uttered out of Yugi's mouth, did Yami believe. The pureblood vampire came to the conclusion that the human had become dopey from his sudden blood loss. The ruler couldn't come up with any other explanation other than, he had exceeded the safe amount of withdrawing blood from Yugi's body.

"Yugi," Yami started, pushing lightly on the human's chest until he was laying back down on the bed. "I'm going to go get Isis, stay here and don't move. "

"Icee? Can you get me one too?" Yugi asked his voice hardly forming words as his tongue failed to articulate them properly.

"No, I-sis. I said, I'm getting Isis," Yami corrected with an annoyed sighed.

"Okay, but you better bring me back my Icee. I want a strawberry flavored one," Yugi firmly stated as he turned on his side and pulled the blankets tighter around his small form, his eyes slipping closed from exhaustion.

"Behave and do as I say, and I might bring you back some shaved ice," Yami concluded shaking his head at the loopy human. He was going to have to be more careful, when dealing with Yugi. He didn't need to cause any damage to the human. If he did, Yami was sure Solomon would be on his case and that was the last thing the pureblood vampire needed. He already got nagged on a daily bases from the Sacred Guardians. Turning on his heel, Yami started to leave the room until Yugi mumbled something quietly.

"My name's not Heba, it's Yugi."

The words struck Yami straight to his core. He felt his stomach tighten slightly and the vampire clenched his jaw tightly. Yugi's slurred words of nonsense echoed in his mind and poisoned his brain, sending his mood southward faster than a plane sparling towards the ground. Had someone truly mistaken Yugi for Heba? There was no way someone who knew the murder could have mistaken Yugi for Heba, the human smelt nothing like him! Though the Prince could say the same for looks as well, but he couldn't even remember that demon's face. He remember bits and pieces of his physical features, but his face had been wiped clean from Yami's mind. The pureblood did acknowledge that they both had the same stubbornness, but that was where their similarities ended.

Sighing Yami closed his eyes and left the room, shutting the door behind him. "No, you're not him. You are nothing like him."

* * *

When his eyes opened, he didn't have a clue where his was. His surroundings weren't something he was used to. The darken room only lit by the little slivers of moonlight seeping through a window and a skylight above him, was foreign. It wasn't his room back at the palace, back at his home. 

Scarlet eyes gazed blankly up at the bland ceiling of the unknown room, their owner's mind wishing for slumber once more so he could return to those happier times. So he could be with his illusionary lovers and not this lonely world. 

Atem groaned when his mind refused sleep and his body slipped out of its numbing slumber. He used to beg to wake up from his slumber and here he was, wishing to go back to sleep. He hated waking up in a cold bed, absolutely loathed it. What was worse, was he could feel the pleasurable feeling of having his thrust sedate, coursing through is dry veins. A feeling that wasn't his own, but belonged to someone who he could never touch or reach out to. A constant reminder of what he had allowed to have happen. 

With a heavy sigh, Atem kicked off the blanket covering his body and clawed at the odd clothes he wore. Slowly his mind began to function normally, the odd things seemed less odd, and the unknown objects became known. He was awake, alive three thousand years in the future with both his lovers gone from his side; one dead and the other plotting to kill him. It made him feel like it was one of the many nightmares the shadows of his family, forced him to bear witness to, but worse. He was actually living this nightmare. 

The Pharaoh winced as he stretched out his stiff limbs, trying to force them to move for him again. His scarlet eyes watched his right arm dully as he extended it out then retracted it back towards its resting place at his side. His eyes picking up the slightest contractions and relaxations of his muscles. He hated how his body felt like a rusted machine lacking oil. The strain it took for him to move, was the most annoying feeling in the world. Having to actually concentrate on his movements were even more tedious than the meetings he attended to when he was Pharaoh! This was agony that came with old age, but physical, Atem wasn't old yet.

_'If it wasn't for that damn spell, I wouldn't be having to depend on some human for care.' _Atem hissed in his mind angrily, causing the shadows around the room to hiss in agreement. His eyes locked onto one of the swirling deformed black shapes along the floor and gaze it with a smoldering glare from his bright red eyes. "Be quiet, No one asked for your opinion," He snapped at the non living creature and sighed through his nose. 

Atem appreciated the help from the two humans who catered to his need, no words could describe the feeling he felt for the two from their help. Solomon and Yugi Mutou were truly selfless beings, helping him and only asking for him to do a few things around their odd home on occasions. They gained no benefit by having him here with them. If anything, he was a threat to their lives and yet, Yugi still had fed him blood for a long period of time and released the seal placed on his immortal body, then proceeded to allow him to inhabit his home and even provided him with food and clothing! Even if this was still the time era he was accustomed too, Atem was sure no one else would have treated him to such noble hospitality. There were a few downsides to his new lifestyle, but Atem was very grateful to the Mutou family nonetheless. 

For the first time in his life, he was being treated as a normal person, despite being an Original vampire and the rightful king of the vampire. 

The vampire stood from Yugi's bed maneuvering through the bedroom in the dark with skill no human could obtain. His eyes looked for Yugi, his nose rendered useless since the boy's scent was mark strongly everywhere within the room.  
"Yugi?" Atem called out the boy's name, hoping for him to acknowledge him… Two minutes passed and he received no answer. 

"Hmm," Atem's curiosity of the modern world was starting to get the best of him. He moved through the room, mindful of the slight clutter on the floor from their shopping from earlier that morning. His lively scarlet eyes looked for familiar things and things that were new to him. The bed, dresser, and desk in Yugi's room were the only thing Atem could name with only a minimal amount of effort, but the rest of the items in Yugi's room were new things the Pharaoh was unsure of. Advance items that weren't available in his time, which Atem had no clue what they did. 

The Pharaoh couldn't kept his hands off of anything in Yugi's room. His hands brushed against the cool surfaces of the room that had every texture non to man – well, known to him. While he was admiring the strange walls of the modern room, noting that they were not made of limestone but of some other smooth material, Atem came across something by the door that connected the room to the other parts of the home. The item was rectangle in shape, and attached to the light blue walls of Yugi's room. It was white with a little indention in the middle and a stick like thing pointing downwards. 

"What is this?" Atem prodded the side of the small white lever. His eyes were filled with pure childish curiosity as he ran his finger around the object before placing his index finger under the lever and pushing it up. 

_'Click!'_

Light blinded the Pharaoh and his body instantly tensed up as his eyes slowly adjusted to the sudden bright light filling the room. He blinked rapidly, looking around him then up at the ceiling.

"How is that possible?" Atem verbalized the question in his mind, though no one was in the room to answer him. The odd thing producing the bright light above his head seemed familiar to Atem, but his mind couldn't make a connection right away. He knew he had never personally experienced such a thing before and it made him wonder if he had witnessed this strange light before through the eyes of the Mutou family or Yami. 

Closing his own eyes, Atem tried to search through his 'memories'. They were dull with age but he finally found a moment in time before Yami fractured their bond, where he had seen witnessed this light. His scarlet eyes reopened and Atem clapped his hands together as he smiled.

"Electricity. Some odd magic that can create little suns in rooms and run the odd contraptions that are in the world…I think," The pharaoh sighed, not understanding the concept of electricity completely. 

He didn't have to dwell long on the matter, as a bright cheerful ringing alerted his sensitive ears and actually startled the vampire. Looking around Yugi's now lit bedroom, Atem tried to find the source of the odd musical ringing. He enjoyed it yet, found it highly annoying at the same time. 

Spotting a familiar object lighting up on Yugi's desk, Atem smiled as his mind made the connection between the annoying music and the contraption that was lighting up. He remembered Yugi explaining it to him last night before they had retired. It was called a telephone and it played music when someone wanted to talk to you with some odd sorcery Atem was unable to up the telephone, Atem pressed the green 'TALK' button as Yugi instructed and held the phone up to his ear.

"Mutou residence. Who's speaking?" The Pharaoh mental praised himself for answering the phone for the first time and saying the words Yugi had instructed him to say. Pride swelled the Pharaoh's ego from accomplishing the simple task without a single mess up. It made him wonder if Yugi would be proud of him for answering the phone with such master. 

_"Is Solomon Mutou, there?"_

Atem's smirk on his face fell, dishearten when the voice on the other line was asking for someone not around him. "No? I don't see him anywhere," He replied to the male voice looking for the elder. 

_"Who's speaking then? " _

Atem froze up when the unknown voice asked for his identity. He pulled the phone away from his ear to glare at the thing with calculating eyes. He couldn't tell who the person speaking to him was. He had no vision of them, nor could he smell their scent. However the voice did sound familiar, but there was this faint crackling sound that caused him to not be able to properly distinguish it. Atem sighed lightly before placing the phone to his ear just to hear the annoyed _"Hello?"_, the voice called out with. 

"I'm Yugi's cousin, Heba," The Pharaoh responded, hating how he had to use his deceased lover's name as so. However, it was how Yugi had introduced him to people in the odd market earlier in the day. He was left with no other option, as much as it pained him. 

_"Heba?" _The voice sounded as if its owner was in disbelief.

"Yes?" Atem replied smoothly, hoping the Ka* of his former lover would come after him for using his name in such ill manner.

_"Nothing," _The voice snapped aggressively, causing the pharaoh to growl lowly at the rude gesture. _"Yugi will be unable to come home tonight, make sure his grandfather is aware of this." –Click!_

Atem growled lowly and placed the phone back down on Yugi's desk, he was appalled by the pour manners the voice lacked. Although he was curious why Yugi wouldn't be returning home for the night, Atem brush the thought away already aware that the boy was most likely feeding his mate. The earlier sensation of feeding, was proof enough. Spotting a stunning red envelope on the small table next to Yugi's bed, Atem used it as a distraction from his thoughts lingering towards his old lover. The Pharaoh made his way to Yugi's bed, taking a seat on the edge of the soft mattress as he picked up the envelope. 

Atem examined the envelope, remembering the times during his rule when he would receive something similar. He smiled to himself at the fond memories of sending letters out to his long distant friends. He wasn't sure what compelled him to carefully open the letter concealed in the red packaging, but as he pulled the letter free from its confinement he started to have an uneasy feeling as he unfolded the crisp parchment paper. 

Odd characters littered the clean unwrinkled sheet of paper, odd characters that strangle made sense to Atem. The Pharaoh held the paper close to his face as his red eyes skimming over the first line of words on the sheet of paper. 

"Dear Solomon Mutou…"

* * *

_**AR: **_A very late update that has ended in another cliffhanger. I'll check and correct any mistake at a later date, probably tomorrow or the day after.

I do apologize for the week late chapter. I experienced a computer malfunction while editing this chapter and caused me to end up losing it. I had to re write all of it from scratch. Then mother nature decided it was going to rain and freeze over night on the power lines connecting to my house, so I was out of power for a day. Also, my classes have started back up and I was loaded down with mountains of homework.

I will say I think this chapter is decent, given that it was rushed and written when my brain was focusing on chapter ten. I hope You guys enjoyed it.

Thank you for the many reviews and followers, along with the favorites! The bring me so much joy!

Be sure to leave any type of review below, I would love it if I could pointers for what I could do better and what needs to be fixed!

Thank you all for the support! :'3  
**Edited on Nov. 1, 2016**


	9. Night IX: Encounters

**AN:** Please enjoy.

* * *

**Night Nine  
Encounters  
**

* * *

The Pharaoh glared at the odd sheet of papyrus in his hand. His mind slowly translated the foreign written language into the one of his homeland. The words he came up with, however, made no sense as brought the white sheet with elegant written symbols closer to his eyes.

"Dear Solomon Mutou," Atem reread the words out loud to himself in the strange tongue, trying to get used to speaking the language he only knew as Japanese from Yami. "Please meet me at my office on December…"Atem narrowed his eyes at the writing trying to comprehend the two squiggles on the sheet of paper.

"On December 26th," He stated unsure, wondering if that was the correct way to say and read the unknown term. He looked over the paper, front and back, to search for more of the writing, but found nothing. His eyes reflected his disappointment before he folded the sheet up and returned it back to its home in the red envelope. The former Pharaoh placed the envelope back on Yugi's nightstand and stood to explore Yugi's room even further. There was still so much for him to discover in the small confined area.

Atem moved towards Yugi's desk, finding it to be a more ideal place to start his 'exploration'. His slim fingers lightly gliding across the dark polished wood as his eyes scanned over the many unknown items the young human had on the smooth wooden piece of furniture. He admired the delicate wood work and was amazed by how Yugi's family was able to afford such a piece of work. Back in his time, such a desk made of dark wood like Yugi's, would have cost Atem an arm and a leg despite being Pharaoh. He allowed his hand to drift down, his long fingers curling around the handle of a drawer and pulled gentle to open the storage compartment. Peeking inside the drawer of Yugi's desk, Atem's curious eyes caught the shimmering sight of the jewel made from his blood. The item he had given to Heba as a sign of the human's loyalty and his admiration for the child.

Tenderly, the Original vampire picked the stone up with his hands, wincing slightly at the odd heat it gave off. His eyes narrowed, watching the gem that resembled the color of fresh blood rest in his palm. Something was amiss with the object, it wasn't the same as he remembered it. Not that Atem had expected it to seem the same after three thousand years, but there was a dark force coming from the magical object that had not originally been there when he had first created the blood stone. Its pureness had been tainted by horrors it had been put through that he hadn't witness.

Cautiously, Atem allowed his shadows to try and penetrate the crimson gem Yugi had referred to as a concealing stone. He wanted to test the stone's true purpose was still active; the reflective barrier it used to repeal his family's powers. If it was active, Atem could perhaps relax a bit more when he was around Yugi. He wouldn't have to worry about the shadows lashing out at the human plus, it would be nice to have someone he could truly vent to without the fear of hurting them. Keeping his emotions and thoughts constantly bottled was starting to drive him insane.

The hazy silhouette of a hand formed over the red stone, fingers extended and reaching to touch out towards the concealing stone. Atem waited with bated breath, the dark foggy hand brushing its middle finger against the smooth surface of the stone. He braced himself, drawing in a quick breath and closed his eyes, expecting pain as the shadows were sent flying back towards him. A lapse of just ten seconds passed and the Pharaoh opened one of his eyes to peek down at the stone. Nothing was happening.

"What in Ra's name…" Atem opened both of his eyes and looked at the stone he had created thousands of years ago as if it was something from this 'future' he was living in. The mystical dark matter swirled around the stone, brushing against it and receiving no negative reaction. No jolt, no bright light dispersing them, no pain; it was as if the gem was just a normal rock in Atem's palm.

The Pharaoh cursed, setting the stone back in the spot where he had found it and leaving it as if he had never touched the item. New thoughts swarmed in his mind like angry hornets, searching for answers for why the stone had not repealed his shadows. It wasn't normal, something was off about the gem made from his blood. Atem briefly thought about how his magic could have possibly worn away from the years of use, but it was immediately dismissed when he remembered Yugi claiming it protected his family. Which left Atem to face the thought of someone having tampered with the gift meant for his late human lover.

Sighing frustratingly, Atem closed the drawer of Yugi's desk. His mind revolved around how the stone became defenseless and what actions he will need to take in the future because of this predicament. He took a seat in the bizarre chair station near Yugi's desk. He crossed his legs with some difficulty from the form fitting pants he wore, while his arms crossed over his chest as he deeply thought over his many options. Something or someone had been able to 'influence' his magic infused with the stone, causing Atem great concern. Only an Original vampire could manipulate or disband the spell he used to create the blood stone, and that was still a difficult thing to do. Obviously Yami wasn't capable of such a thing since he is not a true Original, Ahknadin would have killed him without resorting to cowardly tactics if he was an Original, and the only other person who could possibly be an Original was dead as dirt…

**_"Outside. Perhaps the culprit is outside your bloodlines."_**

Atem's body went stiff as his eyes cut to his left glaring at the shadows that started to grow from underneath Yugi's bed, slowly flooding the room with an overbearing Pharaoh tilted his head up, looking down at the curse of his bloodline like it was puddle of mud in his way.

"I distinctly remembered telling you to be silent," He spoke coldly in his native tongue, uncrossing his arms to grip the edges of the chair's armrests like he did so many time to his throne during his reign. "We both know very well that that, is not possible.

Atem's ruby colored eyes started blazing a vivid crimson as he watch the shadows slowly over take Yugi's room, covering everything in a pitch black and sparing only the boy's skylight.

**_"You cannot command us, foolish boy," _**The shadows hissed softly, its misty form licking at the vampire's sock covered feet. Atem had to suppress a shiver from the cold sensation that prickled his tan skin, along with the anger bubbling inside his chest.

"You will obey me," He left no room for the hisses to argue with him. "I am your vessel, you cannot act without my consent. My word is the unbreakable law to you!"

_**"Is that so?" **_This hisses laughed as coils of black mist started to try and consume Atem, however, the vampire showed no fear and nor did he flinch as the shadows' cool sinister touch attempted to scale his body.  
Atem simply closed his eyes and relaxed, leaning back against the chair he sat in, trying to keep him mind calm and blank. _**"What if we dare to try and break this rule you have over us, hmm? You cannot tame us, we listen to no one!"**_

The Pharaoh winced and hissed slightly when screams of terror echoed in his ears and mind, along with the buzz of noisy chattering whispers. He attempted to block the torture out, knowing that the shadows were merely trying to get him crack underneath the pressure. He refused to fall in such a disgraceful and weak way. Drawing in an elongated breath, Atem opened his eyes to stare straight ahead at the obscurity he was forced to live in for thousands of years.

"You do not think I cannot put you back in your place?" Dark amusement tinted Atem's baritone vocals as a challenging smirk appeared on his face. "Then try me. I'll seal you back within the puzzle before the night is up!" The Pharaoh chuckled darkly, and stood from his perch, his smirk now a sinister grin. "I only called upon you the night of my release to deliver a message and reclaim my blood! It was not an invitation to stay."

**_"Aha ha, what puzzle foolish boy? The Millennium Puzzle is no more! It has been shattered into bits, the original form is no more!" _**The shadows hissed over their noisy chattering that was failing to drive Atem mad.

The black mist started to swirl around the vampire, bits of purple lights appearing as the dark magic grew chaotic. **_"Your reign is over, there is a more suitable vessel awaiting us. He's calling to us through your tainted blood. It's time to stop playing king, Atem!"_**

The bloodthirsty shadows whirled around him, the sounds of things falling and breaking on the floor echoed in his ears along with the clattering of other items, rippling papers, and the angry howl of the magical wind. The Pharaoh tsked at the shadows and stood firm, they were like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum. If he wanted Yugi's room to survive, he was going to have to relocate to another location. The purest of pureblood vampires enjoyed staying with the Mutou family' and refused to allow his temporary home to be the victim of his shadows' latest attempt on his life.

With difficulty, Atem moved the chair he had been sitting in earlier under Yugi's sky light and climbed on top of it. The shadows he was cursed with hadn't left him much of a choice on his exits, blocking off Yugi's door that lead to the other areas of his house and the one window in the young human's room.

Atem cursed heavily in his native language as he pushed against the cool clear surface of the skylight while standing on the tips of his toes. He pressed his palms against the glass harder in hopes the protective covering of the rooftop window would remove itself. When it failed, the Pharaoh looked down to see the shadows clawing at his clothed legs; taunting him with meaningless hisses. He was running out of options and fast.

The vampire curled his right hand into a tight fist and pressed it against his chest. He drew in a calming breath before thrusting his elbow up and smashing against the skylight above him. Glass shattered above him and fell down into Yugi's room with a loud crackling. Atem vaguely felt a burning sensation in his right arm around his elbow, followed by the scent of his own blood filling the room, but it was pushed to the back of his mind as he jumped up to grab onto the ledge of the roof and Yugi's sky light. His arm protested against the cruel abuse after his stunt, and screamed its defiance when the vampire started to pull himself through his exit.

The moment Atem felt his forearms beneath the rough texture of the house's shingles, he started hoisting his lower body up struggling to get it through the busted window. When his chest pressed against the grainy roof, a large gust of wind threatened to make Atem's grip falter, had he not had the strength of a vampire. The vampire closed his eyes briefly before looking up to see the wild shadows darting out of the confinement of Yugi's room and into the vast open of the night sky. When the harsh gust of wind final subsided, the Original vampire wasted no more time and quickly climbed the rest of the away onto the roof with little problems.

_**"Look at that, you're making quite a mess. You're unfit to be a king."**_

Atem rolled his eyes at the taunting from the shadows, not even bothering with answering the black fog as he started to climb to the peak of the roof. The shadows were starting to become a major thorn in his side. They were acting completely normal and knew he was still weak from being released from the seal thus, causing chaos for him to deal with the magic's tantrum and its attempt to overthrow him. Yet, not once had he tried to physically control them since the night he confronted Yami indirectly. The vampire knew he wouldn't be able to fully bend them to his will even when he was at full health, Atem still couldn't get the damn things to listen to him without the aid of the Millennium Puzzle. His use of the shadows the night he was freed by Yugi, was a moment of weakness. The dark creatures were merely feeding off his hatred and anger and only listen because it meant they could destroy life.

The Original vampire climbed the roof of Kame Game shop with ease, finding it much easier than climbing the slick walls of his home back in Ancient Egypt. The palms of his hands and soles of his feet steadied himself briefly, before the Pharaoh stood tall on top of the roof with confidence. Even while his elbow was bleeding and he dressed in the peculiar clothing Yugi had loan him for the day, Atem still appeared to be hauntingly beautiful, fierce, and regal. His face was set in a firm scowl, sharp crimson eyes narrowed, and his body was taut while standing straight up. No fear touched Atem's expression despite how his undead heart wanted to beat with his anxiety.

"This is enough!" The proper Vampire King snapped at the shadows that swirled like a dark vortex, in the sky. His head was tilted upwards in an arrogant and proud fashion as he kept his eyes glued to the dark matter. "Your pettiness will cease here before you do any harm!"

_**"Again, you cannot order us! You have no power to do so, we order you!"**_

"As if," The Pharaoh snorted, placing his hands on his hips with his legs spread shoulder width apart. His bronzed skin was a smooth milk chocolate in the dull lighting of the cloudy winter night. "I shall seal you in the Millennium Puzzle by sunrise if you do not stop this tantrum."

_**"The puzzle is broken into a thousand pieces! You'll never be able to seal us!" **_The shadows hissed and screeched, flying in unpredictable patterns around Atem like a swarm of wasp.

A smug grin of pure confidence plaster itself on the vampire's face, his eyes shining brightly with his fiery spirit. "What has been broke, can always be repaired! I can place the pieces back together in ten human heart beats!"

_**"You're so overly confident with yourself, but not everything can be fixed after it has been broke,." **_The shadows cackled with a sinister tone. _**"Take the human you were intrigued with, he was torn into many pieces, but no one was able to put him back together."**_

Atem's grin faded into thin line, his face not portraying any emotion other than his eyes that were livid with his anger. _**"His soul was ripped from his body, then his body was shredded by your loyal subjects. He wasn't even entomb!"**_

The Original vampire's eyes slowly grew darker, almost a pitch black as he balled his fist at his sides. He closed his eyes, trying to keep his anger suppressed, trying to not show a sliver of weakness. "You lie!"

**_"Do we? Do we lie, boy? We see all, we hear all. Nothing can slip by us, for we are shadows! We are everywhere!" _**The black fog with speckles of violet suddenly rushed Atem from all directions.  
The vampire's eyes shot opened and he stepped to his left to keep from being hit by the mystical darkness. Atem said nothing to the shadow magic with a mind of its own. He couldn't form words to describe how vexed this curse had made him.

"Yugi! What in the fuck are ya' doing, pal?"

Atem inhaled sharply, a voice was calling out to Yugi. The human who had saved him from his dark fate was here and his shadows were out of control, the boy was in danger.

Distracted by the thought of Yugi being close by, Atem looked over his shoulder and down at ground. Turning his attention away from the shadows to make sure the boy wasn't near him. He questioned why his sense of smell hadn't alerted him of the boy's presence.

**_"Die, vessel!"_**

"Yug'!"

Atem felt a hard push to his chest just as his shadows passed through his body, causing a dull ache as the darkness' chill settled in his thoracic body cavity. He lost his footing on the roof, falling backwards and hitting rough surface before his body slid down the slope with no signs of stopping. The Pharaoh reached out with his left hand, letting his palm to scrap against the shingles of the roof in order to slow down. Instead, his hand failed and his body went airborne as he toppled of the edge of the roof.

The weightless feeling as he fell through the air only lasted a full second before the Original vampire's hand latched onto the gutter mounted to the edge of the roof. Adrenaline pumped through Atem's body as he desperately panted to catch his breath, despite not needing air to actually survive. His body swung in the air with his hand's grip on the gutter of the Mutou residency, the only thing keeping him from taking a three-story drop.

"Son of a bitch,"Atem cursed in Japanese, upset with himself forgetting distracted. The attack his shadows used on him was nothing serious, just something to spook him. He used to make them do it to his friend all the time when he was younger, now he understood why they would get irritated and hit him afterwards. It was an unpleasant feeling that was just plain creepy!

The Pharaoh allowed his body to relax slightly when he watched the shadows swirl violently above him before disbursing and dissolving into the night. He couldn't help but glare at where the most troublesome pain in his ass had just been. To think he almost went head first into insanity because of his rage, he was about to repeat the mistakes of his ancestors!

Atem felt his lips tug downward in a frown as he reflected over his actions. He was going to have to somehow acquire the Millennium Puzzle, and soon. He wouldn't risk his shadows having another outburst around humans. It could have dangerous effect, ones that might lead the weaker race to death. He wouldn't risk having the shadows he was cursed with murder his kind hosts.

"Oi, Yug! I gottcha' pal, just drop down!"

Blinking, Atem directed his gaze downwards to see a very rough looking blonde gazing up at him with a worried expression. Atem sniffed the air cautiously and wrinkled his nose when caught the odd scent of the male. It was woodsy and sweet. Like a mixture of pine and cinnamon or oak and honey. There was the natural calm smell that belong to all vampires, but with a tweak making it clear he wasn't of pureblood or born into the race. Not to mention he had a faint trace of a spearmint smell lingering on his body along with the salty smell of sweat. The blonde's scent alone made Atem reluctant to just 'drop down' as the other had put it. And since the other vampire had yet to catch his own scent, Atem had a feeling that he wasn't going to react well when he discovered he wasn't Yugi.

"Come on, just let go will ya'!" The vampire bellow Atem groaned with impatience as he held out his arms for the catch. "I'm not gonna let ya hit the ground."

Atem kept a composed face, though his irritation was still present. He ignored the other vampire, focusing on climbing back onto the roof. The royal wasn't sure if he could trust the young man below, he may have known Yugi, but Atem didn't know him. Dropping down into his arms wasn't worth the risk of finding out if he was a friend or foe.

A soft crackling noise above him cause Atem to look up and at the same time, the person below him cried out. "Yugi, drop down now!"

The white halfpipe Atem was hanging off of was starting to sag towards the ground from the strain of withstanding the Pharaoh's weight. However, Atem refused to let go, not wanting to trust someone who he had no knowledge of. Without another warning, the gutter collapsed underneath the Pharaoh's grip, depriving him of his leverage and sending him plummeting towards the ground.

"Shit!"

"I gottcha pal!"

With a soft 'oomph', Atem landed in out stretched arms before he hit the ground with dull smack. Something heavy toppled over him, pinning him to the ground for the moment as his stunned mind tried to sort itself out.

Something like this never happened when he was dangling from the roofs back in his homeland. He couldn't recall a moment where a roof gave out underneath him, nor had he ever had someone attempt to catch him or interfere with his fun. Though Atem could hardly call the aftermath of dealing with the shadows any fun.

Growling in annoyance, Atem pushed the groaning male off him. "Get off of me!"

With the extra weight off his body, the Original vampire sat up while supporting his upper body with his right arm. The stingy pain served as a dull reminder of his injury. Atem cautiously eyed the golden haired vampire that was starting to sit up himself.

"What the hell is your problem…Yug?" The words died on the rowdy vampire's lips as honey colored eyes gazed at Atem in completely bewilderment.

The Pharaoh said nothing nor made any movements as the male before him leaned forward and took in his scent. It was about time that the lower class vampire used his senses to make note he wasn't some weak human.

"What the fuck! Who the fuck are you!?" The dirty blonde male spat, his golden eyes burning bright with anger and confusion as he forced himself to his feet. "What the hell were ya doin' on top of my friend's house?"

Atem kept himself calm, not allowing the rough looked vampire's comments and vulgar speech affect him. His crimson eyes kept their gaze on the being in front of him, never looking away as he stood to his feet and dusted his dirty clothes off.

"I could ask you the same," He replied snappily, folding his arms over his chest and ignoring the sting in his elbow. He would tend to it later, after he dealt with this trespasser.

"I'm here to check on my best friend instead, I find some creep standing on his roof and yellin' out some gibberish shit!" The other vampire growled, fangs bared at Atem and fist curled tightly at his sides. "Leave from dis' place, ya creep!"

Atem narrowed his eyes in annoyance, his own fingers curling into fist before flexing out again. It was obvious this male before him was either poorly raised or a newborn; this disrespect towards a pureblood vampire was unheard of back in his rule!

"It wasn't gibberish," The Pharaoh stressed firmly his eyes blazing brightly with his irritation. "And I am not a creep! I am a guess of this residency!"

"Yeah right! My pal Yugi wouldn't let another vampire into his home other than me!" The blonde stated confidently as his anger spiked. "Especially some weird ass thief!"

The Original vampire's tolerance for the rowdy vampire before him completely vanished when he was depicted as a lowly thief. His body physically trembled with his wrath and his crimson eyes dulled into dark sinister maroon. It took nearly all of his self-control not to lung at the blonde before him and rip out his vocal cords. "Enough, I will not tolerate your vulgar language anymore!"

"Aw, is someone getting' upset? The why don't ya leave before I make ya!" The taller vampire threatened with a low hiss.

"Like some newborn could make me leave," The Pharaoh hissed back trying to keep calm. He couldn't afford to this fool upset him like he was, he needed to keep in control.

"I'm not a newborn! I'm well past that shitty stage!" The vampire retaliated. "I'm gonna kick your ass – "

"Katsuya Jonouchi if you dare lay a hand on that boy, I'll be the one to be kicking your ass!"

Atem did not dare to look behind him at Solomon, the old man's warm spicy scent and rough voice was more than enough confirmation that the elderly human was standing behind him. The Pharaoh wasn't going to make the same mistake twice in one night.

"Why are ya defending this creep, Gramps!? He was just on your roof and his elbow's got glass in it!" The vampire pointed out. "Not to mention he reeks like rotten flesh!"

Atem tried his best to ignore the burning heat plaguing his face from the blonde's rude comment. "You smell like a camel's backside!" The Original snapped back in defense.

"Arrogant son of bitch!" Jonouchi raised his fists, preparing to assault the other vampire and make him take his words back.

"Enough! Both of you quit this now!" Solomon yelled demanding to be listen to as he walked past Atem to stand in between the two vampires. "I will not have you two acting like children and fighting in my front yard!"

"Solomon he-"

"Boy if you finish that sentence, I'll starve you tomorrow," The old man warned as he cast a cold glare with his dark purple eyes. "You'll have to fend for yourself."

Atem's protest died in his throat as he looked away from the elderly man while muttering under his breath. He kept his hearing sharp in case Jonouchi had any 'bright' ideas.

"Gramps, who is this guy? Why are you actin' like you're close to him and stuff?" Jonouchi questioned his honey colored eyes flicker between Atem and Solomon.

"He's my nephew's son," The retired hunter stated causing Atem look at him with one of his eyebrows raised. "My nephew was turned and he married a pureblood vampire and Heba here –" Solomon gestured towards Atem, "Is their son. He's staying with us while his parents are away on a business trip."

Atem turned his head fully away from the other two, he was definitely going to fail when it was time for his judgment. Using his dead lover's name as a cover up for his own identity was surely going to damn him for not letting his late feeder rest in peace.

"So you're tellin' me that this jerk is related to Yug'?" Jonouchi asked not believing Solomon completely. "He's nothin' like my pal!"

Atem's scowl grew more intense when he heard Solomon's laughter from Jonouchi's reaction. He couldn't tell if the human was laughing at the idea of him being actually related to a human or how the other vampire bluntly stated they were nothing alike.

"They're distant cousins, so the family resemblance is hard to see," Solomon reassured Jonouchi before he looked back over towards the pharaoh who appeared to be ignoring them. "I believe we should move this party inside so I can take care of that wound you have, Heba. I expect a full explanation why your elbow his cut up in such a way."

Fear prickled in Atem's chest and he backed away from the older man. "I can take care of myself! You do not need to treat it, it'll heal on its own in just a few days."

"Nonsense, Jonouchi will you grab him for me? Take him upstairs while I go get the rubbing alcohol," Solomon asked and started to head back inside the Mutou household, leaving the two vampires by themselves.

Honey colored irises meet dark rubies.  
"Don't you even think about it," Atem snapped at Jonouchi with venom in his words.

"Fine, just get your ass inside or I'll drag you in," Jonouchi said seriously shoving his hands in his pockets and following after the elderly human.

Atem sighed and used his left hand to cradle his injured elbow, allowing his fingers to gently pull out the glass embedded in his flesh. He winced slightly, but dealt with the pain as he picked the shards out before heading inside his temporary home. "Ra have mercy on me, please."

* * *

Violet eyes looked at the reddish brown liquid in the pale green mug that Yami held out, with disgust. Yugi moved backwards away from the foul smelling substance and his eyes locked onto Yami with a defiant look.  
"No, I'm not drinking that," He said rebelliously and tried to push the warm mug away from him. "It stinks worse than Jou when he hasn't bathed in a week." 

"Oh come on," Yami sighed through his mouth, his nose was pitched close by his free hand and making him sound nasally. "It's not that bad," He defended. "Just drink it, you'll feel better afterwards." Yami held the mug out and leaned in closer towards Yugi. "I thought you didn't want to be a vegetable." 

Yugi's face scrunched up as the awful smelling liquid came closer towards him. "Correction, my grandfather doesn't want me to be a vegetable; I on the other hand, I have no problems with it." The human turned his face away trying to avoid the mug containing the drink Yami had been trying for the last hour to get him to drink. "Plus how can you say it's not bad when you're holding your nose to keep from smelling it!" 

Groaning, Yami released his nose but decided against breathing. "There, better?" He mumbled in annoyance. "Now will you drink the damn stuff?" 

"You're not breathing," Yugi pointed out and pressed his hand against Yami's chest, feeling no movement underneath his palm and fingers. "Cheater." 

"Yugi please…just please drink the damn potion so Isis won't have a fit later," Yami pleaded on the verge of giving up, he looked at Yugi with tired burgundy eyes that would have made any girl swoon with just one look. 

The human shifted underneath Yami's pleading look, unable to say no to the vampire. "…Fine," He mumbled softly taking the green mug from Yami's hand hesitantly. He looked up at the vampire who looked like he had just won a Duel Monster tournament. "You still owe me my shaved ice," The human added softly before looking down at the mug with pure hatred. 

Yugi continued to glare at the foul smelling potion before he placed the mug to his lips, he cringed at the powerful smell but forced himself to drink the liquid anyways.

The potion Yami gave him was surprisingly tasteless, despite the horrible smell. The texture was thick and chalky as he sucked it into his mouth and swallowed it in rushed gulps. Yugi did his best not to let the smell upset his stomach as he took the final sip and shoved the mug back at Yami as he wiped his mouth clean with his other hand. "Are you sure it'll work?" He questioned the vampire eying him cautiously. 

"It works every time on the other feeders," The pureblood vampire said confidently as he placed the empty mug on the night stand next to the bed before taking a seat by Yugi's feet. "Rest here for a bit and your blood will replenish itself in just a day's time. No negative effects, the only downside is that putrid smell," The older teen spoke, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "It's even worse when Isis makes it fresh." 

Yugi shivered at the thought of the liquid smelling even worse than what he had just experience. "You're joking, right?" Yugi asked, though he knew that Yami wasn't like to him.

"I wish I wasn't," The vampire sighed gazing at Yugi, who was still tucked underneath the dark comforter of the soft queen-sized bed. "Bakura and his feeder were the latest victims of Isis' fresh batch of blood replacement serum." 

"Poor Ryou."

"Poor Bakura," Yami shuttered. "He couldn't kiss his feeder on the mouth for three days straight." 

Yugi shook his head smiling and drew his legs in closer towards himself. "I'm sure it wasn't that bad," He allowed his eyes to gaze around the now lit room. It was far much different than the first room he had been in when he and Yami had their first feeding. "Whose room am I in?" 

"Your room," Yami clarified leaning back and supporting his upper body with his arms. "Each feeder who has connections or ties to the Sacred Guardians or me, has a room here in the estate. This is your room." 

Yugi looked at Yami in awe before down at his hands folded in his lap. Providing him a room in his domain must have been some form of 'care' perk from being Yami's feeder. Yugi felt grateful, but also overwhelmed that such a large room was his when his room back at his home, was three times smaller than the current one he was in. "Thank you, but this isn't necessary," Yugi kindly rejected the ownership for the room. 

"Doesn't matter if you want it or not, it's still yours. Use it as you see fit," Yami stated flatly. "There is also a few things I need to inform you of, as well." 

Yugi sat up more properly, making himself more comfortable as he folded his legs in to sit cross legged. "Like what? You went over the rules right after you fed from me the first time. What else do you have to tell me?" Yugi asked curious about what Yami was going to say. 

"I want to address you about the issues surrounding the former king, also a few housekeeping items," Yami's voice hinted at the possibility the subject bored him from its dull tone. "At anytime in the future that you come in contact with the former king, let me know. Even he doesn't seem like a rogue vampire to you, I cannot rule the possibility out. Don't try to defend him," Yami cut his eyes towards Yugi when he heard the human open his mouth to speak. "I have not been able to see his face for nearly ten years, nor have I heard his voice in three thousand years. Finding him and making sure he is sane is my main priority. If the man who ruled this kingdom before me had lost himself during the years he was trapped under that seal, I could not allow him to suffer a fate that was even crueler than being forced into an unwanted do I want you to risk your safety just based on your 'gut', as humans say." 

Yami sat up and looked towards Yugi, his face unreadable and his burgundy red eyes matched. "If At- the former king is truly lost to his bloodlust and can not be rehabilitated, then I need to contain him before he causes another death or destruction to the world." 

Yugi paled at Yami's words, his face showing his dread. "Contain? You're not planning on resealing him are you?" He questioned the vampire, worried about all of his hard work on rehabilitating Atem and freeing him, going to waste. 

"I that is what it takes to keep the world safe rom his wrath, then I am prepared to seal his soul and dispose of his body," Yami shuffled closer towards Yugi, his red-violet eyes gazing into Yugi's violet ones. "Why does that seem to bother you? Do you pity him, or perhaps, me?"

"No, I don't pity anyone…"Yugi trailed off swallowing the lump in his throat, "It's just cruel." The human dropped his gaze to his hands, rubbing them nervously. "The former king could just be hurting. If you were in his position, waking up thousands of years after being sealed and isolated from the world, would you not act out yourself? I know I would. I wouldn't be sure how to react to this world. Perhaps the king is just hurt and confused, trying to adjust to his life now and regain a sense of normalcy. " 

A sharp intake of breath came from Yami followed by a few swear words. "You are just too trusting. How can I make you see the colossal threat that this man is to your life?!"

Yugi allowed his eyes to look at Yami and almost regretted it when he seen the fury that burned deeply in his dark red eyes. "What force on Earth can compelled you to take the danger of a starving Original vampire that's three-thousand years old, seriously? " 

Yugi picked up a pillow from behind him and held it out in front of him like a shield. "I'm just trying to have a positive outlook on the situation. Don't you think I know that Atem could kill me at any given moment of the day without me even realising it?! I've been worrying about that since last night!" 

"Worrying since last night? You've known about this situation since last night!?" Yami growled out his question before snatching the pillow away from Yugi. "A pillow won't protect you from a vampire, stupid human." 

"I...I," Yugi reach behind him and grabbed a different pillow, this time he squeezed it to his chest and place his face against the cool softness. "I have. My grandpa was freaking out about it last night. Claiming that he was 'released' and was now a potential danger to the whole world." Yugi informed Yami of his grandfather's concerns from when he had brought Atem home, though the human simple chosen to exclude the situation behind his grandfather's words. 

Yami didn't bother in answering Yugi, too busy with trying to calm himself before he did something irrational. None of this was Yugi's fault, the human was only trying to make light of a dark situation he was trapped in. Yet, it still irked Yami that his feeder reused to acknowledge that Atem could still potentially be a madman now. He had attacked his mate with a ridiculous cause and was nowhere to be found. Yami no longer had the power to control the shadows and use them to search or the older vampire. And the Pharaoh's scent had also vanished from his tomb located underneath the Muran Estate, leaving no trail or the tracking forces to haunt him. 'So then how can I locate him before it's too late? I used to always know where to find Atem through the...' 

"The mating bond!" Yami suddenly yelled in alarm, causing Yugi to jump from his outburst. 

"Mating what?"

"That's how I can locate him! He could clearly sense me through our Mating Bond, so there must be a way for me to sense him and be able to track down the bastard," Yami murmured to himself as he closed his eyes in deep thought, confusing Yugi even more. 

"You have a bond with Atem?" Yugi asked hesitantly, not sure how Yami would react to his assumption.

"Had. I had a bond with Atem," He corrected Yugi. "It broke a few years ago when I moved on and decided to bed another that wasn't him," The vampire stated with a shrug and went back to his thoughts. "I might be able to locate him through it if I can concentration enough, but I have to wonder just how much he knows just by watching me through it before Seth and I consummated our love for each other." 

Yugi felt his cheeks warm up from Yami's bold statement about having sex with some man named Seth. While the human thought it was too much information about the pureblood vampire, Yugi was also grateful for having been given another piece of the puzzle to why Atem was furious with Yami. The human lifted his head up to gaze at Yami with a scowl."If Atem attacked you last night, and your theory about him being able to see you through this bond the two of you held, maybe he's just pissed at you and not crazy. He could be mad because you slept with another person while he was stuck in some enchanted imprisonment." 

For the first time, Yugi seen Yami look defeated as he held his head in his hands. "Don't tell me something I'm already aware of. The Pharaoh was a very jealous man during his time of rule. If one being even looked at me the wrong way, he would raise Hell over it. If he witnessed our consummation, no doubt he was screaming in pure rage and plotting both Seth's and my own death." 

"If you knew that would happen, then why did you do it? " Yugi asked curiously, wanting to get to know Yami's reasoning. 

Yami lifted his head from his hands and gazed at the human with dull eyes. "I was drunk, horny, and thought the man was dead as my previous feeder. I didn't think nor was I aware he could be potentially spying on me." 

"You gave up on hope for Atem being saved," Yugi stated, lying back down on the bed, on his side so he could watch Yami.

"I had to. I couldn't cling on to the past for the rest of my life. Not when the past was dying and being left behind, and the Future offered a chance of happiness."

"It's not a bad thing to cherish the past, the happiness from it can give you light during the dark times."

Yugi watched Yami smirk softly and heard him chuckle quietly to himself. " I know, an acquaintance of mine used to say the same thing before she became a part of the past."

Nothing else was said between the two and Yugi felt his eyes grow heavy with exhaustion. The human would have drifted off into another round of slumber had Yami not cleared his throat to gain the human's attention, after a few minutes of silence. "Hmm?" 

"Do you have your phone on you?" Yami asked. 

"Yeah, why?"

"Can I see it for a moment?" Yami asked as he held out his hand for the cellular device. "I'm just going to give you my contact numbers and the Sacred Guardians' phone numbers. In case you ever need them." 

"Okay," Yugi wiggled underneath the blankets before he pulled out his phone and handed it to Yami without hesitation. "Just don't go through it." 

"Scared I'm going to see something inappropriate?" Yami taunted as he took the device and took up the task of putting the phone numbers in Yugi's contacts.

"Not unless you look through my browser history," Yugi bluntly stated with a light blush dusting his cheeks. "Jonouchi used it last week to look up a porno to watch." 

"And you just let him?"

"He's my best friend," Yugi stated tiredly. "He stole my phone to do it."

Yami rolled his eyes and made no further comments as he continued to type in the different contact numbers. Yugi tuned out the dull typing as he gave into his body's desire to sleep. He was just about to drift off into the peacefulness of sleep when the door to his room opened with a soft click.

"Did he drink it? All of it?" A stern female voice asked.

"Yes, he swallowed the entire thing Isis," Yami sighed and Yugi felt his phone drop next to him. "Is that why you're here? To make sure he drank your potion or are you here for something else?"

"I'm here to make sure my patient is faring well, Prince," Isis replied sharply, the click of her high heels muffled by the soft carpet of the floor as she approached them closer. Yugi groaned when he felt her hand gently press to his forehead. "How are you feeling, Yugi?"

"Tired," He mumbled out, squeezing his eyes tighter trying to coax himself back into sleep. "I really want to go to sleep. So if you don't mind…"

"I'll just be a moment, I need to make sure your vitals are stable and heal the bite marks Yami gave you," She responded and rolled Yugi over onto his back with a gentle nudge.

Yugi sighed through his nose before he sat up to make it easier for Isis to examine him. "Do you do this after every time he feeds?" He asked slightly annoyed when his eyes spied Yami watching him with a coy smile.

"Yes, I do," Isis stated as she placed the back of her hand to Yugi's forehead to check for fever. "Yami has proven it difficult to know when he's taken too much," He commented her icy blue eyes glancing towards said vampire. "He nearly killed his first feeder. Him and the former king attempted to double up on a feeder for Yami's first." 

"H-He did? I thought it was impossible for a feeder to be fed from by two different vampires," The human completely looked over the fact Yami nearly had killed his first feeder, already knowing how difficult it was for a vampire to control their hunger. It was partially why Jonouchi refused to feed directly from someone and kept to bag blood and animal blood.

"It's not impossible," She stated while her hand drifted down to Yugi's neck, her index and middle finger pressing lightly against his jugular to check his pulse. " But it's extremely difficult on all parties; human and vampires. It take a considerable amount of endurance and the vampires can only take a pint each." Her hands left his neck after removing the bandage Yami had placed on his neck. 

"Hey! I spent most of last night searching for that!" Yami snapped when Yugi winced as the sticky thing was removed from his skin.

"It's in the way and not needed," Isis informed the ruler with a flat tone. From under her heavy robes, the female pulled out a small grey clay jar. Its top was covered by some type cloth that Yugi couldn't recognize, even when Isis removed the bindings of the cloth and unsealed the jar.

She stuck her index finger inside the container and pulled it back out with a small amount of black paste on her finger. Yugi tilted his head to the side with confusion unable to figure out what type of medical ointment it was. "What is that stuff?"

"A mixture of herbs, the paste from an aloe plant, and hippopotamus blood. Heals any shallow open wound in just a matter of minutes," She replied before smearing the cold substance over the bite wounds Yami had left on Yugi's neck. 

Yugi shivered, gagging at the thought that a hippo's blood was being rubbed on his neck. His reaction earned a round of laughter from Yami and Yugi, sent him a cold glare. "It's not funny! It's nasty!" The human snapped at the laughing vampire. 

"I would have to agree, hippopotamus blood does not taste good at all. It is far too bitter," Isis commented as she closed the jar and concealed it back under her robes. "If your skin starts burning or if you feel unwell Yugi, have Yami send for me and I'll come back to reexamine you."

"Uhh, thank you Lady Isis," Yugi replied trying not to dwell on her words. "Do you know when I can go home?" The human asked trying to sound more cheerful as he looked at the female vampire with hopeful violet eyes. 

"Perhaps tomorrow night, or the day after, " She replied. "You need to stay in bed tomorrow and rest while the blood replacement potion works. If you're too active, you'll produce too much blood and it'll cause serious complications. Try not to think too much about it though," The female physician and priestess said with a bright smile. "I'll be leaving then." 

When Isis left his room, Yugi collapsed back onto his bed with a groan. "Does this mean I have to lay still all day?"

"Pretty much," Yami replied his voice seeming lighter and gentler, like he was having a conversation at school with Jonouchi, Marik, and Bakura.

"But what about going to the bathroom?" Yugi practically whined. "I don't think I can hold it in for an entire day. My bladder might explode if I do." 

"I think bathroom breaks are an exception, Yugi," The pureblood stood from the bed, walking towards Yugi's nightstand to pick up the dirty mug. "Try to get some rest, I'll call your grandfather again and inform him not to expect you to be home tomorrow." 

Yugi made a soft noise of agreement as he watch Yami disappear from his room. Yugi couldn't help but wonder why he was starting to actually feel comfortable around Yami. It wasn't something he was used to, letting his guard down around vampires. First Atem and now it was Yami, maybe the two purebloods were messing with his mind to get him to accept them into his life. Pulling the blankets up to his chin, Yugi snuggled into the warmth of the bed and closed his eyes. He would think about it more in the morning, for now his exhausted body needed sleep. 

As his mind started to drift of, the human began to dream of a life where vampires didn't exist. A life were Atem, Yami, and himself were able to be close friends.

* * *

_**AR: **_Ahhhh, I was so sad this weekend! Fanfiction went down for me Friday night and stayed down till Sunday afternoon.  
I would have updated this yesterday, but I needed to look it over. Sunday was a no go for updating because I was out celebrating my birthday with family and friends. ^-^

Thank you for all the lovely reviews, follows, and favorites! I appreciate everyone's support!

**Edited on: Nov. 2, 2016.**


	10. Night X : Monsters!

**AN:**_ Thank you for the reviews, faves, and follows. Over a hundred...just wow._

* * *

**Night Ten: Monsters!**

* * *

Two males; one tall and tan, and the other short and pale. Both had tri-colored hair that defied the laws of gravity, but one was human and the other, was clearly some different kind of creature. The evidence was as clear was the glass windows in the Director of the International Vampire Hunter Association's Western branch's, office. Pegasus Maximillian Crawford was a very busy man and this, this mess he was now having to deal with, was the last thing he needed on his long list of tasks. When Pegasus had set the Mutou kid out on this 'mission', he was merely trying to coax out the location of the Original, out of Yami. Never did he think that Yugi would become a target for the enemies of his enemy. If he had foreseen it, then he would have never placed such a valuable soldier on the front line. It was a drastic mistake on his part.

Brown eyes re-watched the different security films pulled up on the monitor of his iMac desktop, examining the footage once more. They focused on two figures, Yugi Mutou and the other lad he happened to be with at the time. The Director watch them with pure interest and curiosity. From each of the different camera perspectives, it was easy to spot the rogue vampire stalking his precious informant and his friend. However, it was very easy to define that the unknown male was the one leading Yugi away and eventually, was the one to pull the human along when the mall exploded into chaos. It was the unknown male, who pulled the hunter in training away from a dead child and into the safety of a bathroom. It was that same unknown male, which the camera's had caught, who had killed the rogue, and had a black mist absorbed the creature into his shadow. It was also that same male, who gazed directly at the closest camera watching his performance, when all five cameras trained on the excitement went blank with an eerie static

Pegasus had no idea who this young man was, but he was completely convinced that the male was not a normal human, if he was even a human-being at all. The Director, so intrigued by this unknown male, used one of the camera angles capturing the man's face; to help conduct a search for the unknown person in the I.V.H.A.'s database of residence living in Domino City. Pegasus zoomed in on the man's face and cropped it, to copy it into the database on his computer. As he did so, he couldn't help but notice familiar facial features. A sharp nose, an angular face, sharp crimson eyes, high cheek bones, and golden bangs that resemble lightning bolts in a raging storm; it was almost like this person was Yami Sennen. The silver haired male clicked his tongue and cracked a smile as he gazed at the unknown man.

"He must be tired of being the spotlight or, he didn't want to intimidate his new feeder. Such a clever child, that Yami-boy is," Pegasus spoke out loud to himself. He wouldn't outrule that this tan man could perhaps be someone else other than Yami but, the vampire hunter was convinced that this man was the beloved Prince of the Vampire kingdom. With that in mind, Pegasus reached his pale hand out for the phone on his desk. He was going to make a few calls before bringing in the Mutou kid for questioning. He needed to first, identify the unidentified male and prove it was Yami in some sort of disguise.

Just as he started to dial the number for Domino City Mall's security, the Director's secretary paged him on the small intercom in his office. "Director, this is a reminder you have your video conference with the Eastern branch representative in five minutes. He will be contacting you shortly," the woman's gentle voice was followed by a click, signaling the end of the announcement. Pegasus sighed through his nose, placing his office phone back in its dock. He pushed away from his desk in order to stand up. He needed to make is office slightly more presentable, rather than the mess it was currently in from all the paperwork he had to sort through and look over.

The International Vampire Hunter Association's Eastern branch representative, wasn't someone Pegasus particularly liked to deal with. For a person who was supposed to be professional and mature, the Eastern representative was anything but that. He made Pegasus look just as serious as Seto Kaiba, the CEO of Kaiba corp. After hiding his unfinished stacks of paperwork from the sight of his webcam, Pegasus tinted the widows of his office before returning to his seat at his desk. The I.V.H.A. representative for the western hemisphere, ran his hands through his silver hair, fixing it to look more presentable. Pegasus then adjusted the black tie he wore, and dusted off his signature red suit. Once he was finished with his final preparations, the vampire hunter signed into his Skype account.

The moment he was logged on, Pegasus as immediately invited into a video call with his colleague. Preparing himself, Pegasus clicked the green 'join call' icon, and braced himself for the talkative man.

"Max, my good friend! How have you been? It's been so long since we've last spoken to each other, since the last Gathering, no?" Dartz Ironheart, the representative of the Eastern branch of the I.V.H.A., greeted Pegasus with a lack of respect.

The silver haired man faked a warm smile for his light teal haired colleague, "It's been far too long, Director Ironheart. I am well, and so is the Japan Headquarters. Nothing major has happened among our ranks."

"Oh? Is that so?" The Eastern representative hummed out in a skeptical tone. Through the video chat, Pegasus could see the man looking rather smug as he leaned back casually, in a black leather chair. "The story traveling through the grapevines, say otherwise, Pegasus. Such as you're having an increase in rogue activity?" Pegasus' brown eyes widened slightly. Just how did this man know about the unexpected growth in rogue vampire sightings in Domino? He had yet to even upload his reports into the database of the I.V.H.A.

Pegasus narrowed his eyes slightly, though he remained relaxed as he gazed at the man in the video call. "I was unaware that you knew of such details when I have yet to report them. I assume you must have some connections in my district," Pegasus said calmly, "May I know the name of this person?"

"Such a serious and uptight man you are, Director Pegasus. When I was told about your struggles with the rogues, one of my field agents just happened to be passing through the area you reign over. No fear my comrade, besides, the branch in Denmark is also having its problems with rogues increasing. It looks like the pest are starting to gain some numbers, perhaps there is a coup d'état in progress? Maybe the rogues are tired of being suppressed by an ungrateful and unworthy ruler?"

"Both you and I, know that is not possible, Dartz. Rogues have no intelligence, they are vampires who have succumbed to their blood lust and have lost all sanity and sense of morality. They are creatures who cannot think for themselves and let their instincts drive them. They are not capable of such elaborate things, there must be some sort of disease spreading through packaged blood," Pegasus immediately shot down Dartz suggestion.

"Or maybe there is someone moving freely under Yami's nose? Perhaps a person within the Sacred Guardians or maybe it's the missing king who went insane and abandoned the Vampire Kingdom?"

Pegasus couldn't help but laugh at the idea of the lost king being the mastermind of the plot, even Dartz joined in on the small round of laughter. "No, the king couldn't have done it. His whereabouts were located ten, almost eleven, years ago. Remember the Mutou couple I sent to your front lines?"

"The famous researchers?"

"The one and only, they were caught helping Yami with trying to revive the 'lost king' and needed to be punished for their betrayal. It was an unfortunate to lose such brilliant minds, and so young too," Pegasus sighed. The silver haired male shook his head in disappointment, "they could have been famous and maybe, even would have found a way to transformed vampires into humans."

"Speaking of the Mutou family, their son, didn't he recently get accepted as the Prince's personal feeder? Oh my, how his parents must be proud and his ancestors turning in their graves, " Dartz snickered, " he'll be introduced to the public on New Year's eve, at this year's Gathering. It'll surely be an interesting event, am I right?"

Pegasus sighed, although everything was going according to his plan with Yugi becoming Yami's feeder, it technically wasn't the orthodox way a hunter would go about to spy on their enemies. If Dartz discovered the Mutou boy's true purpose, both of them would be in a heap of trouble, Yugi for breach the hunter's code and ruining a vampire's trust for their feeder; and Pegasus for breaking the treaty.

"Yes, you're correct my friend. I've actually been keeping an eye out on the child since his parents' death. I'm rather sadden that he went to Yami's side before I got the chance to properly bring him into our ranks."

"He must have his grandfather's fighting abilities then, if he was someone you, the infamous Maximilian Pegasus, kept an eye on," Dartz interrupted with a bored tone. "I hope he has the skill to handle the life he's chosen. Not only will he have his hands full with our men trying to get at him, he'll be dealing with the vampire creating all the rogue vampires."

Pegasus's eyes widened with shock, "Someone is creating the rogue vampires? Where did you get this information from, Dartz? Why haven't you shared this information sooner? If we can track down the rogue vampires' leader, then we can exterminate them at their source! And finally, we'll be able to deal with our main objective of annihilating Yami's forces! "

"Calm down Max," Dartz made a calming gesture with his hands through their video chat. "I only discovered it earlier this morning. One of my men captured a rogue and made him spill the important information. However, now that you know this information, keep it to yourself, Director Pegasus."

Pegasus smiled cunningly, and laughed to himself. "Do you honestly think that I would leak such important information? Director Ironheart, you are sadly mistaken if you think that I, The Western International Vampire Hunter Association's Director, would allow such information fall into the hands of Yami's intelligence. This information gives us the upper hand, we can use this to our advantage!"

"That's the spirit, my old friend!" Dartz clapped his hands together, "We can give their Prince a little bone to chew on until us, the real top dogs, rise up and reclaim our spot on the top!"

"Ah, but what kind of bone will last a dog such as Yami?" Pegasus thought allowed, trying to think of a diversion that would work for Yami.

Dartz let out a joyful and slightly sinister sounding laugh. "Oh, I know one thing that will keep Yami busy for a very long time! What about that beast? The one that Yami is infatuated with?"

Pegasus raised an eyebrow as his lips pulled into an unbelieving smile, "You want to use the Lost King as bait to keep Yami occupied?" Their conversation had oddly circled around back to the 'king'. It was making Pegasus start to wonder if Dartz had some intelligence about the man that he, did not have.

"Yes and no. From one of our inside sources, the cute blonde haired maid from my branch, you know the one," Pegasus crimson slightly, trust Dratz to bring up old stories from the past. "She reported to me that his body had disappeared from the place where Yami had hidden it. A big uproar had happen, something about shadows flying around and Yami getting attacked by them-"

"Why do you not tell me these things when they occur, Dratz! Do you forget where his body was at? His body was in my territory, not yours! If he's gone, either the monster has been revived or worse, another monster like it will be born soon! I made a promise to protect the people under the watch of the Association. How can I do that when my co-leader keeps a secret about an Original possibly being out of the prowl?" Pegasus had snapped.

The very thought about having a vampire as dangerous as an Original, walking the very streets of the city that his headquarters were located at, terrified the man. His hunters, they were in danger, their families were in danger. Then there was Yugi, he was potentially in the most danger. Being claimed as Yami's feeder could very well mean that the Original might want to take a bite out of the kid to see why his mate had been attracted to him. He needed to warn him, he had to warn the child of the threat against his life.

When Pegasus had first assigned him this mission, he merely wanted to use Yugi as tool to Yami's destruction, but he now seen the fault in his ways. He only sent the kid to his death quicker than if he was just recruited him as a normal hunter. In all of their databases, the I.V.H.A. has never recorded a feeder living more than a couple of days after being fed from by two vampires. This child, the Mutou family's' last child, was going to be dead if the Original had awaken.

"…ou need to calm down. At your old age, exciting yourself so much will only lead to poor health. It's no big deal. We'll simply track him down and-"

"Dartz you are an utter fool! How do you expect us, mere humans, to take down the creature that is the true vampire? Not even his own kind can kill him easily, how do you expect us as mere humans to do such a thing? It. Is. Impossible," Pegasus emphasized, hoping to get the point across into the other male's thick skull. Even killing just normal purebloods, were a challenge to the most skilled hunters.

"No, no. We aren't going to kill him. We will leave that to Yami, Director Pegasus. It'll be like hitting two birds with one stone. We'll agitate the Prince a little, before setting him on his precious Lost King. Perhaps we could even drop false hints about his whereabouts so Yami will go chase after him even quicker. It'll be simple and safe, just trust me. I would never endanger my own men if I didn't think we couldn't handle it."

Pegasus felt uneasy; this was surely not the best course of action, but Dartz's theory wasn't bad. Yami would be compelled to either see his past lover, or end his terrorizing to preserve the 'good image' he had built on top of the royals' twisted past. "I suppose it would not hurt to try and distract Yami with him, as long as no causalities are included."

"Excellent! I'm glad to have your cooperation! I shall formulate an actual detailed plan after the Gathering. Speaking of the Gathering, that's what we are supposed to be discussing in this video call! Although I won't be attending as normal, I had a few ideas for you to use. Why not go with a more modern black-tie event? I'm tired of hearing my men complain about the themes that come from the 1800's. It'll be 2015 this upcoming year. I'm sure you yourself are tired of the boring ballroom feel."

"You have no idea, but the calming air from the old ages seems to keep the vampires at ease. However, I see no issues with updating the musical selections to the more modern music, as well as attire. We aren't apart of the Victorian ages. I'll see what changes I can have to make the living dead, more living than dead," The older director said with a pleasing tone, "Maybe I'll add my vineyards' wine to list of drinks."

The two spoke about the Gathering that was to occur on New Year's Eve and other topics that strayed from the actual affairs of the I.V.H.A., for more than two hours. Once Pegasus had officially ended his conversation with Dartz and logged off of the video calling network, the secretary from the first floor paged him over his personal intercom, "Director Pegasus, Solomon Mutou is here to speak with you. Are you free to speak with him?"

"Pegasus smirked, pleased that the elder had actually shown himself and not reject his offer. Perhaps he was thinking that this meeting was going to be about his grandchild and decide that should be the reason he would show, it didn't matter to Pegasus though. He wanted to have Solomon come out of retirement to help with rogue control. The old man had been his best slayer and no man or woman, has changed that.

"Send him up, I'm free to speak with him. Make sure he comes alone," The Director replied to the female with a confident tone. He would have the old man back under his control, even if it meant he had to threaten the Mutou child's life to get his point across. He need the Red Ace again, his triumphant card.

* * *

"Recite the rules of feeder subjugation!"

"Rule one," Yugi ducked his head to avoid a left hook punch to his face and countered it by a jab combo to the practice pad Otogi was holding. "A feeder must always follow his vampire's command. It is for their protection. Rule two," he bent low to sweep his trainer's feet, "Never question or talk back to your vampire. It's disrespectful to the one who holds your life in their hands. Rule three, never abandon your feeder. It'll kill you both after the bond is established. Rule number four," Yugi threw a roundhouse kick to Otogi's right kidney, which was skillfully blocked.

"Do not attempt to escape the bond. It is lethal to both parties. Rule number five, never resist a feeding," he dodged a spinning back kick from Otogi before trying to land a blow on them man with an uppercut to the jaw. "Number six, never harbor secret from your vampire-OW!"

A hard blow from a crisp side kick that he did not see coming, had Yugi bending over and clutching his stomach. He looked up at Otogi wincing in pain, "What was that for?"

"Rule number six is never lie to your vampire, get it right," The dark haired vampire scolded Yugi, sighing through his nose from his disappointment and shaking his head with his arms crossed over his chest. "At this rate, you're never going to learn the rules and have them memorized before the Gathering. You're going to embarrass the Prince and yourself, if you keep up this rate of progress. You're getting nowhere and fast."

"It's not my fault, blame your leader for it. How the hell was I supposed to know that I had to memorize the entire feeder hand book then recite it at this Gathering thing? If he would have told me sooner, I could have had at least the first twenty rules memorized. But no, Yami had to go and tell me this morning like it wasn't important at all," Yugi huffed, standing tall again and putting his bare hands back up in a fighting position. "Not only that, he's making me train like a MMA fighter! He's forgetting I'm a human and not some kind of immortal demon spawn like he is."

"You're forgetting I'm a vampire too and not a demon spawn," Otogi pointed out, "And that this is for your own protection. So try not to have such a sore ass about it. This little game was your idea in the first place."

"I know, I know. Thanks again for doing this for me, Otogi. I really appreciate it," the human thanked his vampire friend. "If I was stuck with anyone else, I might have been driven mad by blind rage."

Otogi's jade green eyes shone with mirth as he smirked at Yugi, "I think if someone else was your trainer, you wouldn't have survived past the five minute mark in free-sparring."

"Oh yeah?! Are you challenging me, Ryuuji Otogi? If you are, I won't turn you down and I'll show you that you're wrong about me!" Yugi's violet eyes were bright with the thrill of possibly another win to the many victories he had acquired through his seventeen years of life, " I may be shorter than you and a human, but that doesn't mean I can't last more than five minutes in a free-spar!"

"Hmm? Are you sure about that Mutou? I'll admit that you seem like a good fighter for someone who isn't into violence," Otogi teased and prodded Yugi's forehead with his index finger, "but do you have what it takes to fight against a vampire who's had years of experience of fighting?"

"Just because I don't condone violence on a daily basis, doesn't mean I'm not capable of standing up for myself."

"Says the kid who walks into class with a new batch of bruises every day since our first year of high school."

Yugi felt his eye twitch with aggravation, "Why would I fight back against a bully, if that what makes them strive? It's best to ignore them and give them no reaction," The young human huffed at the end of his statement, making his irritation known. "Besides, the bullying was lightening up until Ushio target me."

"Uh huh, I bet you were just too weak to even block a simple punch," Otogi taunted purposely.

Yugi's eyebrows furrowed and a slight blush appeared over his nose out of frustration as he scowled. "I was not!" He snapped, his feet already closing the distance between him and Otogi, his hands balled into fist at his sides.

Without much thought, Yugi went in for a low hard jab to Otogi's ribs. It wasn't a bright idea and afterwards, he felt his hand come in contact with the harden flesh, he instantly regretted his brash action. "O-Otogi, I-I didn't mean it."

The punch hadn't phased the vampire much, but it did manage to catch him off guard. "Oh no Mutou, that jab was a declaration of war. We're going to settle this matter like men."

Immediately following Otogi's words, Yugi was put on the defensive against a barrage of punches and kicks, several of them hitting him in his midsection. It didn't take long for the human to catch on to the vampire's intentions and he was soon reversing their roles, placing Ryuuji on the defensive. They continued to spare like this, each forcing to other to defend not long after they threw an assaulting combo. Each male had their own ways of getting the other with dirty tactics. Yugi staying in close to cut off Otogi's use of his kicks, and Otogi using his height to keep Yugi's hands up for protection. By the time ten minutes had past, Yugi's muscles were screaming from fatigue and their training session for the day was coming to a close. Finally after another five minutes, Otogi ended the match feeling exhausted too.

"I was…I was wrong Mutou. You're a feisty thing for a small human," The vampire panted out, with a proud smile on his face.

Yugi beamed with pride, though he was covered in sweat. "Thank...you. You...you're pretty good yourself."

Otogi couldn't help but laugh at the slouched human that was exhausted and out of breath, "Well, yeah, now go shower. We're done for the day. I'll see you tomorrow."

Yugi blinked slightly confused as Otogi suddenly dismissed him and turned to leave, then he remembered that his friend must have others to help train. "Okay, I'll see you later then, Otogi," The human said as they parted ways, Yugi heading for the locker rooms and Otogi toward the weight lifting station.

Once inside the male locker room, Yugi wasted no time grabbing one of the free towels and soap bars offered by the gym, and headed towards the showers. As he entered one of the shower stalls and closed the stall's door behind him, the human couldn't help but sigh softly from his exhaustion. Yami was worrying too much about him, making him take private lessons for fighting, following him around like a sappy little puppy, pressuring Yugi to let him inside his home…It was making the human worry that there was something that neither the hunters or Yami, was telling him. Was there something he should be worried about? Something that was placing his life in danger? Was he and his grandfather in trouble? What about Atem? Was the trouble with Yami's men, hunting Atem down with the sole purpose to kill him? Was that why Yami was so hell bent on doing all these unnecessary things?

Yugi shook his head and lightly slapped the sides of his face with both of his hands. "Get it together, this has nothing to do with your life being endangered or Atem," the human spoke quietly to himself. 'It's just Yami being over protective of his food source...' Yugi face twisted into an expression of disgust. He would prefer if his life was endangered over the latter.

Sitting his towel and soap on the small bench, Yugi stripped out of his sweaty clothing, before grabbing his bar of soap and entering the shower area, making sure to close the shower curtain behind him so his towel and clothes didn't get wet. Turning the shower on and to the temperature where the water was all but causing his skin to blister from the heat, Yugi closed his eyes and allowed his sore muscles to relax as the hot water washed away all of his tension. It was so blissful and most of Yugi's worries evaporated as the dirty and sweat was cleansed from his body. As much as he wished he could stay under the warm water, Yugi forced himself to quickly wash off. At the moment he couldn't afford to spend a great amount of time in the shower, he had to get home to Atem.

A regretful shiver ran through Yugi's body as he lathered his body with soap. Both his grandpa and himself, had left their vampire guest alone in their house. Neither of them could have the vampire accompany them to their destinations, though Yugi didn't know why his grandpa had rejected the very idea of Atem leaving the house with him. The elderly man was just going grocery shopping, but that wasn't the issue here, it was the matter of leaving a vampire that had hardly any knowledge about how modern technology works, alone...in their house...full of modern comforts. They left a man who blew up a urinal because he thought it was the source of some kind of evil and wanted his blood, in their house!

Rushing to finish bathing, Yugi quickly washed off the soap suds and skipped on shampooing his hair. He would do that tonight before he went to bed. Once finished, Yugi turned the water off and exited the shower. He dried off his body with care, making sure he wasn't dripping water before he wrapped the towel around his waist and gathered his dirty clothes. Returning to his locker, Yugi grabbed the bag that contained his fresh change of clothes in it; a simple long sleeved white t-shirt, a fresh change of boxers and socks, and a pair of dark skinny jeans. He wasted no time re-dressing and applying on a fresh coat of deodorant before shoving his dirty workout clothing in his draw-string bag. He then sat on the floor and slipped on his shoes, his normal pair of black and white Nikes. Finally dressed, Yugi forced his damp hair back into a messy ponytail, before he exited the locker room with his belongings. His fear for the safety of his home, drove him to hurry back home and make sure it was okay, and had survived an afternoon alone with Atem.

* * *

When Yugi arrived home, he was relieved to find the building still standing and the insides almost undisturbed since the last time he had seen it. The only difference was instead of Atem sitting at the dining table and eating breakfast, he was lounging on the couch with a piles of his grandfather's books surrounding him and having his nose shoved in one of them. He was still dressed in the slim fitting yellow athletic shirt and black basketball shorts from the previous night. The sight was very shocking for Yugi, it surprised him that the vampire hadn't caused some chaotic mess that resulted in his house burning to the ground. He must have misjudge Atem, due of his behavior when he first woke up to this world and his reactions during their shopping spree. Perhaps, the vampire had grown accustom to this world he lived in now.

"I'm home," Yugi announced, placing his bag of dirty clothes by the door that led down stairs to the game shop, as he kicked of his shoes. "How was your day, Atem? Not too boring, I hope, since you've been here alone."

No reaction came from the pureblood, who was reading one of the thick books about vampires history that Yugi's grandfather kept around. Judging by how the thickness of the pages on the right side of the book, Atem had almost read the entire thing. Yugi sighed and shook his head, he understood that the books his grandfather had collected of the years could be very interesting and addicting, but that didn't mean Atem couldn't give a proper hello to him. Coming closer to the vampire, Yugi knelt on the ground in front of the couch Atem was laying on.

"Hey," he spoke up in attempts to gain the attention of the vampire. It failed miserably.

"Hey, Atem… … Hello? … … O' righteous King of The Vampires, are you there?! … … … paging Pharaoh Atem, your human host is trying to hold a conversation with you."

Not once did the former Pharaoh look at Yugi, his eyes were focused on the words written in the book he was infatuated with, and were flickering back and forth as he comprehended their meaning. Eventually, Yugi resulted in lightly poking at the Original's face until crimson eyes blinked and Atem finally turned his head to face Yugi.

"Oh, Yugi, welcome home."

The human smiled at the vampire and nodded before leaning forward slightly, to get a better view at what Atem was reading, "I've actually been home for a while now, you were just a little absorbed in this book. Have you been reading it the entire time since Grandpa and I left?"

Atem didn't bother with sitting up or putting his book down, instead, he started reading again, but was keeping the conversation with Yugi. "I have, I want to learn as much as I can about the happenings while I was … away. I was only limited to Yami's current thoughts when I had access to his mind. It would be very hard for me to run my kingdom as I am now, I need to gain information about everything that has transpired since my leave."

"I see, if you plan on learning everything that's happened since your sealing, that's going to be hard using only the books Grandpa owns. I'll let you borrow some of my old history text books and maybe we can visit the local library to see what they have that'll help you," Yugi replied standing up from his spot on the floor. "I'm going to make us lunch. Is there anything you want to eat ?"

"Mmmm."

The human placed his palm over his right temple, as he looked down at the reading vampire with an exhausted expression. "Getting a direct answer out of you today, is like trying talk to Yami and not get glared at. I'll just fix whatever I find, then."

"Yami does not glare at people, it is just his natural look when he is thinking about the conversation, or when his spacing out. He tends to space out, becoming more frequent after I was sealed."

Yugi felt his eye twitch, the damn vampire had been purposely ignoring him for the book he was reading. "Well at least he's not a person who peeks into another person's mind without their permission, and compels them unnecessarily," Yugi threw back at Atem as he turned on his heel to go fix their food for lunch.

"I do not do that either. I only did it to you because it was a time of emergency."

Yugi rolled his eyes and started to go through the kitchen cabinets, searching for something both of them could eat. After he had raided the entire kitchen Yugi finally decided on fixing Ramen for the two of them, though it would take some time to prepare Atem's serving. Cooking for vampires always took longer than it did when it came to cooking just normal food, however, Yugi didn't mind it. He was used to the cooking method because of Jonouchi, he even learned how to speed up the process quicker by warming up the raw meats in the microwave oven for a brief amount of time, without causing it to brown or cook.

It took Yugi an entire hour for him to finish their lunch and by that time, Atem had finished the book he had been reading and was almost half way finished with another. As Yugi set the table, he looked towards the living room to see if Atem was still reading and was surprised by the sight of the vampire closing his book and standing up from the couch. Yugi could only guess that Atem had smelt the food and was too hungry to resist it. Returning to the kitchen to grab a few napkins for them, Yugi heard Atem ask an odd question as he took his seat at the table.

" Yugi, other than the day when we were at the mall; have you ever come in contact with one of those rogue vampires?"

"Well, I came into contact with a group of three vampires just before they fell to a rogue state," He answered Atem, returning to the table and setting the napkins on the table before taking his seat at the table. "Why the sudden curiosity?"

"One of the books I read today spoke about their origins and how they started becoming more…frequent after my sealing. It also spoke about how they never let a prey escape, I just curious," Atem's voice was casual as he picked up the pair of chopssticks Yugi had laid out for him. With some difficulty, Atem started to eat the bowl of ramen Yugi had made for him. "How did you escape from them?"

Yugi was in the middle of shoving noodles into his mouth when Atem's unexpected question was asked. The human slurped the remainder of his noodles into his mouth before wiping it with a napkin. Yugi's bright violet eyes dimmed and his skin paled. Talking about that night, was not something Yugi had wanted to discuss. Yami had handled explaining everything to his friends and Yugi had only openly talked about the experience with his grandfather once. He wasn't sure if he could even tell Atem all the details. "Yami killed them before they could kill me. He took out all three of them under two minutes, I think. He was very quick and…didn't seemed to care that I was watching."

Atem seemed to be in deep thoughts after Yugi's answer, as chewed on a piece of raw meat soaked in the lion's blood Yugi had used for the soup's broth. Yugi took this opportunity to eat as much as he could stomach in case Atem decided to ask him to recall the gory detail, if he did.

"Did the trio of rogues have any connection to you before they started turning?" Now that was going in the opposite direction Yugi had thought the Pharaoh was going to take their conversation. It made the human think what the original vampire was piecing together in his mind.

"Uh, well, we weren't exactly on the best of terms. Ushio and his lackeys were the school's bullies. They would pressured humans to allow them to feed from them and it was a very physical persuasion. Eventually, Ushio turned his greedy gaze to me and tried to use the same method he did for previous victims, but I didn't give him the time of day. It must have bothered him that me, a human, would deny him of what he wanted," a faint smile appeared on Yugi's face and he gave a shrug of his shoulders as he started resume eating his noodles, "It didn't matter then, and it still doesn't matter to me now. How come you wanted to know?"

Atem placed his chopsticks down and rested his head in his hand. " I wanted to be sure of something before I started to assume."

"Be sure of what exactly?" The Original vampire closed his eyes, Yugi could tell something was bothering him, but he didn't speak on it. By the way Atem's posture had tensed at his words, he could on assume it wasn't something good.

"My theory for these creatures," Atem stated before continuing and opening his eyes to stare at Yugi.

"Comes from my personal knowledge, experience, the knowledge in the books, and your experience. I can concluded that what you call rogue vampires, are not… rogues, at least I think they are not. These creatures are very similar to a creature that we originals, have tried to prevent from coming into this world since it was decided that only two originals could exist at the same beasts that devours every living thing that has blood to give the life."

Yugi stopped eating his own lunch to fully digest what Atem had told him, "So, you're saying rogues aren't vampires who have fallen to their blood lust?"

"No, I believe they still are vampire that have lost control of their blood lust, but they might be failed monsters created from tasting the blood of an Original. At least, I think that is what these troublesome beings are," Atem's eyes narrowed, "If that is the case, I will have speed up my recover and reawaken my powers quickly. I will have to deal with the source of the problem quickly. It will only be a matter of time that world be corrupted by these creatures. Not to mention I must look into a few things before I reclaim my throne, it is for the best for my kingdom and humans too. First, I will need to capture one of these 'rogues' and question them thoroughly, one with enough intelligence to speak-"

"No!" Yugi slammed a hand down on the table, before he had even realized that he had lashed out at the Pharaoh. When he did, the young human boy blushed and slowly placed his hand in his lap,

"I'm...sorry, just the thought of having another person that I know lost to a rogue…it's not something I want to even allow to happen. Not again, never again."

"Understandable, but there is nothing to worry about Yugi. I am not as clumsy or as weak as a human, a rogue vampire could never kill me," Atem reassured the human with a bright smile, "I am flattered that you are concerned about my well-being."

Yugi's face grew a darker shade of red from Atem's words. He hadn't meant for Atem think of his words in that way, but there was no way he could change how the man interpreted his speech. "I don't think you understand your current position, Atem. You were able to take down a very weak rogue, one of the weakest ones in this world. If it was one of the stronger ones, such as a class A, you might have been seriously hurt or worse, killed. You still don't have your powers back or you're !"

One stern look was all it took for Atem to strike fear in Yugi's heart for mentioning the vampire's lack of full sized fangs. It also made Yugi think that the older male was going to reprimand him for his words, instead, Atem sighed though his nose and relaxed. He sat up straight and pointed towards the television, "Yesterday, you received a new…a new game of some sort for Christmas. Do you wish to play it with me?"

Completely taken off guard but pleased from the offer, Yugi smiled happily and nodded his head in agreement, "Of course! Let me clean up the dishes and you go put Grandpa's books back, then we can play it."

Smiling back, Atem nodded and stood up to go clean up the stacks of books he had by the couch. "Be warned, back in my prime, I won every game I took part in."

Yugi laughed lightly at the Pharaoh as he gathered their dirty dishes, "Oh yeah? Well old man, this is the twenty first century, the games are a bit different now."

The Egyptian crimsoned and his eyes went wide as he bent down to gather the books, "Old…Old man?! What has possessed you to call me such ?!"

"You were the one to say, and I quote, 'Back in my prime, I won every game I played.' You were speaking like my grandpa, Atem!"

The Pharaoh muttered a few curses in his native tongue, while he collected the stacks of books, "That is Pharaoh Atem to you, human."

* * *

"Do you mind explaining the controls for this game again, but a little slower?" Atem asked, after Yugi had excitedly explained how to work the controls of the Xbox One controller for the game Destiny. The vampire had only managed to comprehend the basic navigation controls and nothing else afterwards because Yugi started speaking as if he were an overly excited hamster.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I just really enjoy games," The human admitted, rubbing the back of his head from his embarrassment. "Okay, so this one is to access your inventory and this one here is to make Ghost appear. The green is to jump, the blue is to reload your weapon, red is to crouch or slide, and yellow is to switch your weapons. The two small ones on the top of your control let you activate your special abilities. The left trigger will let you throw a grenade and the right trigger lets you shot your gun or to use your weapon in order to fight," Yugi explained to Atem, going over the main control for Atem again, pointing to each button as he spoke about them. "Did you understand better this time?"

"Yes, thank you Yugi'," Atem said with a smile that was bond to swoon even the coldest of hearts.

The human laughed lightly and smiled back, "Alright, it's time to kick some butt!" The teenage male announced, starting the game with excitement, by pressing the start button for Atem.

Although he wasn't playing the game himself, due to lacking a second controller, Yugi was still having fun just by helping the Pharaoh play the online game and watching the vampire's fits of excitement and rage. It was so painfully obvious that Atem was a gamer by heart. He caught onto the objective of Destiny quick and despite being a first timer to any type of video games, he had some great skills. His expression and the emotions he put into playing the video game was priceless, Yugi actually took his cellphone out of his pocket and began to take pictures of Atem's hilarious faces. The human was able to capture several photos of Atem with his tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth, his eyes and mouth open during several fists of gaming rage, and even his moments of pure joy when he conquered an enemy base or killed them. Yugi had been half tempted to send the pictures to Yami, but then Yugi's and Atem's secret would be out, Atem living here in his home wasn't something Yami was aware of. Maybe, just maybe, he'll be able to show Yami these pictures sometime soon; when the three of them were together as friends. Hopefully that day would come soon.

Speaking of the devil, Yugi's phone vibrated and made a soft ding sound to alert him of a new text message; it had been from Yami. Curious about what the vampire had to say, Yugi opened his inbox to view the message without delay.

_**Sent by:** Yami Sennen (xxx-xxx-xxxx)_

_**Message:** Yugi, don't forget about the Gathering on New Year's Eve. I want you to make a good impression in the vampire community._

_How was your first day of training with Ryuuji Otogi? I heard it went fairly well._

_Also, what are your body measurements?_

Yugi's eyebrows pulled together out of confusion. Why did Yami need his body measurements? That was personal information of his that only Ryou actually knew. Yugi only knew he wore a small in tops, twenty nine in pants, and a size six and half for shoes. It made no sense to him, but Yugi replied to his 'dictator' regardless.

_**Sent by: **Yugi Mutou (xvx-xxx-xvvx)_

_**Message: **If I forgot about the Gathering, you may have to make Isis check me for some kind of brain damage._

_It was fine, I manage to last fifteen minutes against Otogi in a free spar! -insert proud emoji-_

_I'm not even sure myself. If you want exact measurements, ask Ryou. He knows._

After sending his message, Yugi placed his phone on the couch and stretch out his arms over his head. Atem's light chuckling caught his attention, causing Yugi to look at him and tilt his head to the side, "What's so funny?"

"It is nothing. I was just acknowledging how funny it is that the world has quickly changed from what it was when I was a ruler. So many changes have been made, as well as many new inventions have been created. We had nothing like cars, television, or even a device such as the cellphone that send letters instantly and allows you to talk to another person, no matter the distance. It is just so amusing and strange to me, when I can remember a simpler world clearer than clean water! This world even has more festivities than the world I grew up in," The Pharaoh spoke with a kind smile and joyful tone while running a hand through his hair.

"Ah, I have so much catching up on. I wonder… I wonder just how much Yami's appearance and personality has changed since the last time we spoke face-to-face. I wasn't able to see him clearly through my shadows, but I hope he is still young and youthful. I wonder about my friends, I am curious to see if they are still alive. I was also wondering how this world will accept a being like me, someone who has been gone from the throne for a very long time. In honesty, as a man, I am fearful of their rejection; but as a vampire, I find this change so…so damn hilarious! There is so much to learn about, so much to do! Perhaps, if I lived through the centuries and experienced this change, I might be able to grasp this strangeness, but I would then be bored out of my mind. But I am grateful... I am grateful for a curse! How funny is that? Me, the Pharaoh who allowed himself to fall for a weak mortal and get sealed by said human's hand; is grateful for his damnation, the loss of loved ones, and even making his other loved ones suffer for centuries!" Atem laughed, he chuckled loudly like a sinister hyena, echoing loudly in the Mutou's living room. "What a MAN I am! What MONSTER I am! I am thankful for my misery?! Who in this world be thankful for such a thing! It is just so fucking unbelieveable and amusing!"

"If it's so funny, then why do you sound like you're cursing yourself Atem?" Yugi's voice quietly asked, like the calm winds after a storm, soothing and concerned. "It's great that you are looking on the brighter side of things, but you don't seem to think it's truly funny."

The Pharaoh drew in a deep breath through his nose and released it out his mouth, closing his eyes and opening after he had calmed. His scarlet hues looked at Yugi with amusement as he smirked confidently. "I am, I am! Do you not see Yugi? I find my own pain amusing! Because without that pain, I would not be as blessed as I am now! My unbeating heart is filled with joy because I can live! I can live without the bindings of a pharaoh to the two worlds. I can finally be myself. My only regret is not having a grave for my dear Heba. I wish to thank him, but I vowed on his soul, to him, that I will kill the filthy vermin who had double-crossed me as a sign of my gratitude. I also have my gratitude to show towards Solomon and you, Yugi. Without you, I would not be able to live so freely and experience such a rich life. I must thank you-"

Yugi's phone's message alert interrupted Atem, ringing loudly to notify Yugi of another text message had received, "Um, could you excuse me for one moment? Thanks, Atem!"

The human quickly checked to see who had texted him, leaving Atem completely baffled by what the human had just said to him  
.

_**Sent by: **Yami Sennen (xxx-xxx-xxxx)_

_**Message: **Why the hell do you not know yourself, yet Bakura's feeder does? You are hopeless, even for a human._

Yugi growled slightly as his thumbs started to move quickly across his screen to form his reply for Yami. It wasn't his fault Ryou never allowed him to find out his body measurements. All tailoring actions and suits went through the British native, instead of Yugi. Apparently, his tastes in formal attire isn't up to the modern standards, according to Ryou.

_**Sent by: **Yugi Mutou (xvx-xxx-xvvx)_

_**Message: **Don't blame me! Ryou never lets me know what my exact measurements are!_

"Who are you sending an instant letter to?" Atem question, peering over Yugi's shoulder in attempt to read his text message.

"I was just sending Yami a message. He's being a nosy pest," Yugi informed Atem without a single thought.

The Pharaoh's joyful presence completely disappeared from him at the mentioning of Yami's name. It almost made Yugi wonder if talking to Yami was a bad thing to do in when Atem was nearby. Judging the way Atem had reacted and how he was currently giving Yugi a cold shoulder as he resumed his game, it had to be. While he observed Atem's sudden change in attitude, Yugi almost thought that Atem was acting like a spoiled child who wanted to keep his friends to himself. For future interactions, it would be best to keep his and Yami's social interactions a secret from Atem. It seemed like the Vampire King was still sour about his successor.

"Why are you –"

"How did your friends like their Christmas presents?" Atem quickly said, preventing Yugi from asking why his mood had shifted and changing the subject completely.

Damn, the Pharaoh was quick to avoid touchy subjects. It must come in handy when he was in tight spots. Not wanting to ignore the question, Yugi responded simply, "They liked them, actually, they loved it seemed. I guess I, I mean we, did a good job!"

Atem forced a light laugh, "I guess so, what about you? Did you enjoy your presents that you received?"

"Of course! I loved them all, they were really well thought out and creative. Ryou made a giant gift box made out of only Duel monster cards, Mailk gave me a massive collection of books about how to keep a vampire in line, and Jonouchi and the others gave me lots of candy in different shaped packaging! But it's kind of a shame, they went through the trouble to get so much sweets for me and I can't eat it all," Yugi said with a soft smile, "Sometimes, I wish it wasn't that way, but then again, it does keep me from eating too much junk food and fatty substances."

"Why is that? Can you not enjoy sweets?"

"No, no, I can but I have to watch the amount I eat. I'm a diabetic, so it's very easy for me to get too much sugar in my blood, or not enough sugar. It can throw my body out of whack," Yugi explained to the Pharaoh simply, not making a big deal over his minor health issue. Not everyone was perfect, in his eyes it wasn't something to be concerned over.

Atem on the other hand, didn't think the same way. "You're ill!? Have you told Yami about this illness of yours? He needs to know, as your vampire, it is his duty to make sure the feeder remains safe and healthy at all times. If you're not healthy, it can harm you when he takes blood from your body. This 'diabetic' can become a serious problem!"

"Calm down Atem, it's not as bad as it sounds!" He told the Pharaoh, placing a hand on his arm. "First off the disorder is called Diabetes, not 'diabetic'. Saying you're diabetic just means you have Diabetes. Secondly, I'm a type one diabetic, meaning my body does not produce enough insulin to convert sugars and starches into energy. Lastly, I use an insulin pen to help manage my blood sugar levels and keep it normal. It's actual a quick and painless method and hardly anything bad comes from it. Well, as long as remember to take my insulin, so now do you understand? I'm healthy and there's nothing wrong with me."

"I see, so you're not sick?"

"Nope, I'm not sick."

"Very well," Atem placed the controller to Yugi's Xbox One on the ground and turned to face the human. "If you are healthy, then can you do something for me, Yugi?"

Blinking, Yugi nodded slowly, unsure what Atem was going to ask of him. "Yeah, sure, anything you want Pharaoh."

Smiling brightly, Atem grabbed Yugi's shoulders and looked him directly in the eyes. Scarlet hues searing Violet irises, as if the royal was going to ask something serious from the human. "Can you pull my hair back like yours?"

Stifling his laughter, Yugi manage to nod his head. That was all the Pharaoh wanted? Atem was truly an easy person to satisfy. "Sure, O' mighty Pharaoh Atem. I'll pull your hair back in a ponytail."

* * *

As Yugi sat on the couch and brushed Atem's tri-colored gravity defying hair, the two had settled into quiet, but peaceful atmosphere. The Pharaoh had moved to sit on the floor in between Yugi's parted legs with his back leaning back against the couch, and the video game had been turned off in exchange to watch the evening news. Although, it was being ignored as Yugi focused on brushing and Atem kept his eyes closed and was all but purring from the bristles massaging his scalp. Yugi took his time with brushing Atem's unusually soft hair, remembering the first time he had touched it. Even back when it was dirty from years of abuse, it still had been just as soft as it was now. The human took his time brushing the vampire's hair and getting rid of any tangles it contained, enjoying their moment of peace. It was almost enough to forget that Atem was perhaps the most dangerous being on the planet. 

"You know, you smell a lot like him Yugi," Atem spoke up, breaking the silence between them, but keeping the peace.

"Like who?" The human asked, not bothered by the sudden deceleration and continued to brush the vampire's hair.

"Like Heba. When you released me, you smelt so much like him, that I wanted bite you the very moment your scent filled my airways. Not only that, but you look like him. Your faces are similar along with your hair, but Heba had a more mature face, he was older than you, slightly taller, and a little more muscular." 

Yugi finished brushing Atem's hair, slowly running his fingers through the unique hair as he prepped it for the ponytail. "Why do you say that I look like him? Yami has never told me that I do."

"Because you do look like him, there's no denying that you to have some type of connection in your family tree. Maybe a cousin of some sort, Heba bore no children that I know of. Yami probably does not want to admit it or he's forgotten about him," Atem replied with a soft sigh, "Though, how he forgot such sweet tasting blood is even questionable to the gods. Heba's blood was sweeter than the sweetest wine in Egypt, he was like a forbidden fruit for vampires." 

Yugi smiled as started to gather Atem's hair in his hands to form a low ponytail at the base of his head where it met his neck, however, he was having some difficulty with the unruly spikes. "What was Heba like Atem? I've only heard bad things about him, but you seem to know quite a lot about the good in Heba," The human wondered about the sinister human, voicing his inner thoughts without fear of the other's reaction. Yugi wanted to know Heba, even if it was through the words of the ones he lived with. After all, a human doesn't start out as a bad person. 

"Heba was a stubborn mortal. At times he could be your opposite, though you both are very similar personality wise," Atem hummed out almost immediately after Yugi asked him was Heba was like, "He such a rowdy child, even after he was made mine and Yami's personal feeder; he still continued to fight back and resisting us. His temper, oh, his temper! It raged more violently than a typhoon, but just as beautiful! He was such a violent child for being a former slave. I think it was a blessing by the gods that he was never whipped. Yami and I had to put him in the dungeons for a number of days because of his out lashes. He was not like that for long, Heba eventually calmed down and became one of the most beautiful people this world has ever experienced. He was well liked by all. Like you, he was friendly and very caring. On the other hand, he did not like to show it and when he was caught, he would always deny it. It was as if he seen it as a weakness. He loved games, and loved challenging people even more. I think he had a special attraction for trouble and danger, much like a daredevil. He was so gentle with animals and children… Heba was the only person in this world that could get Yami to open up when something was troubling him, without having to put in a little something extra to calm him down. Even myself, became tranquil around Heba…Heba was the sole person we could rely on. He cared for us, we cared for him. Yami… all Yami would do when he was away, would talk nonstop about how much he loved Heba. He was… he was… a good soul, a tender and kind soul. That is why, I will find him. I will find the man who stole our happiness from us. The man who manipulated Heba, who forced him to do something against his will! I will steal his future away, like he stole!-" 

Yugi cut Atem off by releasing his hair , placing one hand over the Pharaoh's mouth, and the other on the man's shoulder. "That's enough, I think I know what he's like now. Thank you, Atem."

He could bare to hear anymore. Atem's voice had been breaking up, almost like the male was on the verge of breaking down. The was the last thing he needed, an upset pureblood vampire.

The Original pulled Yugi's hand gently away from his mouth, then released it. He said no more and Yugi watched as Atem raised up an arm to wipe his eyes. He had been crying, but the human didn't say anything on it, instead, Yugi resumed running his hands through Atem's hair to finish pulling it into a ponytail. He did, however, try to change the subject. "How's your wound? Is it healing up properly?" 

Taking a deep breath and releasing it, Atem replied in a calm and even voice, "For the most part, it is healed. Only a discoloration remains as of now. I believe it will go away in a few days, perhaps a week or so. It will scar, however, despite my regeneration capabilities." 

"That's a relief, the first time I laid eyes on the wound caused by the seal; I thought you were going to die if the dagger was removed." 

"If you hadn't been supplying me with blood, I would have. I would have turned into ashes," Atem replied to Yugi, wincing slightly as the human tugged his hair to get in the hairdo he had requested. "Starving while under a seal is a very painful death if you do not have something to distract your mind. The first time you feed me blood, I felt like I was in heaven and you were an angel saving me from my damnation. Ow, ow ow ow! Now you are a devil tugging on my hair!" 

"Sorry, but if you don't hold still, it's going to get pulled even more," Yugi defended himself as he finished up Atem's ponytail. Once he was done, Yugi examined his work and frowned. Atem's bangs were already falling out of the ponytail, instead of letting the fall out when they did, Yugi went ahead and gently removed the golden bangs from the ponytail. "There, it's done." 

Atem stood from the floor and stretched before making a disappointing look on his face. It had Yugi worried that the vampire didn't like how it had felt, "Yugi, when do you think you will have supper ready?" 

Oh, he was thirsty.

Standing, Yugi grabbed a hold of Atem's wrist and started to drag him towards the kitchen, "If you're thirsty, you can just say so. There should be a bag of blood in the freezer or fridge. You know, you can get it yourself Atem. You don't have to ask since you're the only vampire in the house." 

Atem didn't say anything back and Yugi turned his head to look at the Egyptian, only to find the man trying to hid his embarrassment. Smiling, Yugi shook his head slightly and released Atem's wrist when he reached their destination in the kitchen. After some searching, Yugi found a blood bag of 'A-negative' blood and handed it to Atem. "Here you go, Pharaoh. Drink up!" 

Yugi had been expecting Atem to bite into the bag and start drinking, but it never happened. Instead, the vampire used his hands to play with the red liquid inside the bag, his eyes had faded to a dull crimson. When Atem never said anything nor did he start drinking the blood, Yugi became concerned about the vampire and bent down to look up into Atem's unfocused eyes. "Is everything okay? Do you need to go lay down and rest?" The human asked, worried for the vampire's health. He wasn't about to let the past weeks of nurturing Atem back from the dead, go to waste. If the vampire wasn't feeling well, Yugi was going become hell-bent on him getting rest and recovering. 

"I feel fine Yugi, I was just think about something," the vampire informed the human. "There is nothing for you to worry about." Atem blinked and gave Yugi a fake smile, his eyes clearing up and becoming a bright scarlet once more. 

"What were you thinking about that had you so dazed?" Yugi asked, casually leaning against the counter while his violet eyes watched the former pharaoh in front of him. "It had to be pretty important if it can keep a vampire from satisfying their thirst." 

"Well, in a way it is, but I am sure it was just a passing thought and nothing more."

"What do mean by that?" Yugi asked, almost sounding disappointed. "Come on, tell me Atem." 

"That is Pharaoh Atem, must I keep correcting you?" the vampire snapped before he gave into Yugi's pestering, not looking very pleased about it. "I had a passing thought about if I drank directly from a human, then I, by some chance, might recover my powers and I would possibly acquire full maturity. In my entire life, never have I bitten into a human and drank directly from the bite mark during a normal feeding, not since I was a babe and a young child. When both my father and I had ruled, it was considered 'poor manners' for a noble or pureblood to drink blood directly from a human. It was savagery. Only Yami had consumed Heba's blood directly from his body, but in our private chambers. I remember him biting Heba and then drinking from the wound created by it. Yami would collect Heba's blood for me, by biting his wrist and letting the blood flow into a chalice. I only bit Heba three times, to ensure the feeder's bond was in place." 

Yugi hummed to himself as he thought over Atem's words. It only made sense to Yugi, there was no flaw that he could see why this method wouldn't work to eradicate the rest of the seal's spell placed on Atem. After all, it was a vampire's instinct to bite into a human and drink from their body. "I see no reason why it wouldn't work plus, it is the natural way your kind feeds. If you want to, we can go to the local blood bank and see if we can get you a universal feeder that's not claimed by a pureblood for you to feed from." 

The royal shook his head almost immediately after Yugi suggested using some unfamiliar human to feed from. It sounded very unappetizing to Atem. "I believe it has to be your blood I must drink, since you were the one to release me from the seal's full effects, and will you be my mate's feeder."

"No."

"I have not even told you all of the information yet!"

"No. No. Absolutely no. One vampire biting me every few weeks is enough, I'm not letting you drink from me too," Yugi firmly stated, leaving no room for persuasion. "Yami would kill me and claim I was dirty traitor like your lover-boy, Heba. I'm not going to be stuck in the middle of you two fighting. That will never be an option." 

"Yugi, please," Atem spoke, his voice sounding sweet and smooth as honey, "If there was another way around this that I was positive would work, I would be using it and not double bonding to another human with Yami."

The human's eyes were gentle, but narrowed from the difficult position he was in. This was not supposed to happen. None of this was. He was supposed to have a normal highschool life, not living a double life as a vampire hunter, not becoming a pureblood vampire couple's docile pet. He was only Yami's feeder because it was his mission given to him be the Director. He was only to be someone on the inside, nothing else. Now... now he was almost being forced to give up his entire life because of Yami and now, Atem wanted him to give up what little freedom he had in his life for him. "Atem, I'm a part of the group that is YOUR enemy. If you take me as a feeder as well, it will not only look bad on Yami, but you as well. The world is not a kind place when it comes to a person's public image. Power or not, the public will rip you apart if they find a fault or weakness in you." 

Atem let out a powerful laugh, smirking once he was finished."Yugi, I am the rightful King of Vampires, nothing scares me. No human, pureblood vampire, or these creatures known as 'rogues'; can make me tremble in fear. I have no fear and I am not worried about my image. I have the power to tarnish anyone's 'image' and then breathe life into it once it is ashes. I am only worried about this world and what will happen to it if I do not take an offensive against this evil tarnishing the beautiful name of the Vampire race!" Slowly, Atem approached Yugi, until they were just a few inches apart. He dropped the bag of blood on the ground and used a hand to grab Yugi's chin gently, and tilted his head upwards, making their eyes met. "By the time Yami discovers that you have also been bonded to me, I will have eliminated the option of killing you. He will be an obedient dog until he remembers his proper place in this world of ours.  
"

"…Are you absolutely positive that this will work?" Slowly, Yugi could feel his body unwillingly being compelled to agree with the vampire before him.

"There is nothing in this world I am more positive of, than this."

"Are you sure? Because a moment ago it was a theory."

"Ra, damn it, Yugi!" Atem snapped, actually yelling at the human for a first time, "The moment since I opened my eyes and laid eyes on your body, I have wanted nothing more, than to sink my teeth into your flesh and devour your blood! I am a very patient and tolerant man, but I am at my limit! I am struggling to be near you and your grandfather while keeping a composed face. Unless you wish to see the face of a real monster, you would be wise and trust me just this once. If not, well… I cannot be sure of how much time it will be until I snap and maul you and your grandfather. Unless there is another you know of, then this will be the only thing we can do." 

Fear. Fear for his life and his grandfather's life. Atem had made it clear that they wouldn't live long unless he experienced a true feeding and not solely surviving on bags of donated blood and animal blood. With no other options, Yugi looked the vampire dead in the eye. His violet orbs were steady showing none of the fear he felt within his entire body. He held his head high, not letting Atem's hand to support it.

"Fine. You can bond with me, but I still refused to be caught up in the feud you and Yami are having. You have to get yourself out of this mess. Just don't do anything stupid that will get us both killed by your mate, understand?"

Yugi felt his chin be released, but his eyes didn't leave from Atem's. Those beautiful deep scarlet eyes were a pools of warm fires, no bitter feelings were harbored within them, only gratitude and pure happiness were shining brightly with in the windows to Atem's soul. Yugi could honestly say he hadn't seen Atem's eyes or even his face, show this amount of emotion since he offical met the man. It made him wonder if he had ever been this happy around Yami. 

One moment Yugi was staring into Atem's eyes, speechless and in the next; he was being crushed to death be the vampire in a warm hug. "Yugi, I am in debt to you. One day soon, I will repay you for all that your family has done for me. Your grandfather, mother, father, and yourself; I will keep you all out of harm's way when I reclaim my birthright!" 

"Atem, my parents are dead," Yugi breathlessly stated as he returned the warm hug with an unsure one.

"Then I shall protect the family that you will potentially have in the future," The vampire corrected himself as he pulled away from Yugi with a kind smile lingering on his face. "Will it be fine if I drink from you now?" 

The teenager looked unsure for a moment, but he eventually nodded his head as his only reply and pushed past Atem. "You can feed from me upstairs in my room. I don't want Grandpa to walk in on us with you drinking my blood in the kitchen. It might send him the wrong message, I'm not fond of my grandfather thinking that I'm a secret blood whore or something." 

Atem couldn't help but laugh at the mental picture of Yugi becoming a blood whore, "As long as you do not bathe in blood, I believe you will be fine Yugi." 

The human offered his own weak laughter to join Atem's strong and beautiful one. The human didn't believe that he was going to be fine at all. Slowly, but surely, he was being dragged deeper and deeper into and unforgiving Hell that he would never escape.

* * *

Yugi closed the door and locked it behind them when both the vampire and himself, arrived in his room. He didn't know if he would be able to carry out this death sentence of his. At least, not with Atem. He wasn't like Yami. Atem could kill him without even meaning to, it's been thousands of years since he had last fresh human blood, and it was his first time participating in a real feeding. The very thought of him biting into his flesh after millenniums of not biting a human, made Yugi want run to someplace where the vampire could never find him. Yugi hadn't even realized he was trembling until his feet left the ground and he was being held in Atem's arms bridal style.

"Calm down Yugi. You will make your heart rate elevate to the point where I will not be able to properly feed from you until it has calmed." 

"I can't, I can't do this," The human sputtered out, grabbing the collar of Atem's athletic t-shirt with both hands. "What if you can't restrain yourself? What if you lose yourself and kill me?" 

"Yugi," The Egyptian's calm voice slowly started, "I can handle myself. A vampire that is or the Original bloodline does not lose themselves to blood lust unless pushed to their absolute limit. It is something you will never witness as long as you are my feeder. I can promise you that," There was a lingering tone of doubt in Atem's voice, which Yugi could barely pick out through the confident ring of the vampire's baritone hidden uncertainty, only made the human even more uneasy. 

Slowly, so very slowly, Yugi felt his body calm down and relax. He knew it wasn't himself doing the calming, but Atem. This was what terrified him the most, Atem being able to compel his body without his mind even knowing it was happening. The man could make him do anything he wanted, and Yugi wouldn't even notice that it was Atem's doing and not his own. Eventually, his pulse slowed to a normal pace and his breathing was calm and relax. It was unfortunate that Yugi's mind was still restless and unable to accept the idea of Atem feeding from him. 

"It will be painless and quick, nothing like your first time with Yami. You will not even notice I have even pierced your flesh. I promise Yugi, so calm your mind and just trust me." 

Trust him? Could Yugi trust the vampire? Could he have faith in Atem that he would let him live through this? The vampire nuzzled Yugi's neck much like Yami had done during their first feeding. When continued to repeat the action, Yugi's mind relaxed and the human let out a true round of laughter as Atem nuzzled his neck. He could trust this vampire, he would do it so he could live through this. "That settles it, the nuzzling and purring just has to be a part of vampire nature!" 

"No, not even close, "Atem countered and halted his actions. "That's just something Yami does, it is very strange. I was only mimicking it to relax you." 

"Oh. Then why does he do it?"

Atem sighed, looking like a very disappointed parent. "Because, Yami is Yami. He has very weird feeding habits. Never mention it outside of us three, okay?" 

"Okay, Atem," Yugi responded, smiling at the newly gained information. Next time Yami made him upset, he would use the secret to his advantage. 

"Now then," shifting Yugi's body to a better angle, Atem prepped the area he planned to bite with licks and small nips. Yugi hadn't felt a single thing when Atem's fangs pierced his skin, he could only feel familiar sucking sensation on his neck from when Yami had drank from his neck a few day ago. It was only for a few seconds then, Atem pulled away. Yugi was about to ask if their method had work, but his head was forced towards the side of his neck where Atem had just bitten him, exposing the other side of his neck. He felt Atem repeat the same licks and nips against the skin of his neck before the feeling of his blood being drained from his body, returned. Just like moments before, Atem withdrew after only a few seconds. The second time Atem had drank from him, left Yugi's head with a dizzy feeling from losing almost a pint of blood in just seconds. Yugi reached towards his face to cover his eyes, but he found himself being thrown on to his bed. 

Startled and dazed, Yugi struggled to get hold of his mind before he pushed himself into an upright sitting position. His eyes went to the spot where Atem had been sitting, but he was gone. It didn't take Yugi long to notice the vampire standing in the middle of his room with his head tilted upwards. And if he hadn't seen the vampire's body that was glowing a blood red light, he would have needed to get his eyes check. 

Something wasn't right with Atem. The light was growing more intense and darker in color as time slowly ticked by. A violent wind that had been conjured from the still thin air, began howling and throwing a tantrum within Yugi's room. Papers where flying through the air, his clothing hanging up in his room was threatening to take flight, his furniture shook violently and the pictures on his walls fell to the ground. Lightning, bright red lightning flashed around his room, threatening to take Yugi's very life if it struck him. Finally, they appeared.

Dark mist like clouds started to swirl around Atem and formed a powerful vortex in the middle of Yugi's room. It was obvious this was the vampire's doing and if he didn't stop Atem soon, his life and house would all be blown away. 

"Atem! …. Atem, answer me!"

No reply came from the vampire who appeared to be unconscious as the violent storm grew stronger and stronger. Yugi watched in horror as the black clouds of mist hissed and spat words of some language Yugi had a hard time recognizing. They swirled tighter and tighter around Atem's body and as Yugi focused on Atem, he began to notice the small changes in the man. His skin seemed to be slightly darker, his nails were slowly growing into claws and there were black stumps forming on the vampire's back. The red light had faded into black and the powerful storm grew louder with each second. At this rate he would truly perish by the hands of the Original vampire. 

On his nightstand, his family's concealing stone emitted a bright red like, catching Yugi's attention. The sight of the concealing stone was all the Yugi needed to spark an idea in his head. Reaching for the stone, Yugi went over his plan to himself. He would throw himself at Atem with the stone in hopes of bringing the vampire back to sanity. It wasn't the best of plans, nor was it very original, but maybe it would calm Atem down if he knocked him over and hopefully out. However, when Yugi's fingers brushed the surface of the concealing stone, his vision went white and all of his thoughts went blank other than trying to figure out where he had seen this light at before. 

"_**You!"**_

The voice was loud and hurt his ears as it echoed in his head.

_**"Why did you lift it? Why? I placed him in that state for a reason, now look at what you caused!"**_

Was this voice Heba's? He was the one who had sealed Atem off from the world. It sounded so familiar too, like Yugi had heard it somewhere before. Yugi struggled to remember why, but his effort was in vain. 

Just as quickly as it had come, the light vanished, letting Yugi's vision returned to normal as he took in the sounds and sights of the chaotic storm within his room. His mind wanted his body to stay still for a moment while he tried to figure out what had just occurred, but Yugi decided to listen to his heart and try to save himself and his home. Grabbing the blood red stone off of his nightstand, Yugi wasted no time getting to Atem. Holding an arm over his face to shield his eyes, the human made his way to the vampire. When he was close enough, Yugi used all of his body weight to ram his left shoulder into Atem's chest, successfully tackling the former pharaoh to the floor.. 

The storm immediately stopped when Atem's body and Yugi collided on to the floor of Yugi's bedroom, leaving a sudden silence that left ringing in Yugi's ears. 

Yugi couldn't move at first, his body sore due to the harsh collision from tackling a vampire head on. Luckily, Atem was the one who moved first, sitting up and pulling Yugi into an awkward sitting position as well. 

"Why the hell did you tackle me?!" The vampire cursed at the human as he looked over Yugi's for any possible injuries. 

Scowling, Yugi smack Atem's cheek roughly, but not phasing the vampire one bit, "You were destroying my room! Just look at it!" 

Not even a second after Yugi had slapped the vampire, Atem was sent into a violent coughing fit. Unsure what the cause of it was, Yugi offered his help to the Original by patting his back softly until the coughing subsided. Covering his mouth, Atem gave one more rough cough before spitting into his hand. Pulling his hand away from his mouth, the Egyptian smiled brightly before holding hand out for Yugi to see while smiling with his bright white teeth and new elongated fangs. 

"I finally got my permanent fangs, see?"

* * *

**AN :: **So...long time no see eh?  
I'm not giving any excuses other than that I've been slack on keeping my deadlines.  
Therefore, I won't set a deadline for chapter eleven until I am sure I can get up by that day.

Thank you all for your patience and I know that this chapter, was well worth the wait. It was a major chapter and also, it's the last chapter with Atem in it until chapter Thirteen.  
There's some good stuff coming up for chapters eleven and twelve and we are finally get closer to Atem's and Yami's reunion! I'm sure you guys will be crying by the end of that chapter!

Speaking of crying, I actually cried while writing chapter ten, mostly because I was think about a later chapter where the tragedy that Atem and Yami had to go through is explained.  
It's not for a long time, but it still had me in tears. I just cannot wait for this story's climax, nor the up coming fun when Atem finally is able to have his throne back. Ah, it's good to be a writer.

One last thing, I want to truly express my gratitude to you, my readers. You guys are my bread and butter. From your kind words to the simple follows, they inspire me to keep writing.  
Even when my head is clouded with writer's block, or I'm just simply writing; I always think about how much you guys will enjoy the chapter and the story as a whole.  
Over hundred reviews, favorites, and follows...I feel blessed. When I first posted this story I thought I t would only get like 30 to 40 faves and followers and maybe 20 to 30 reviews. But you guys actually proved to me that this story was worth much more!  
So thank you. Thank you for sticking with me and Traitor and giving me inspiration to make this story thrive and grow into something beautiful!

**Edited on: Nov.3, 2016.**


	11. Night XI :: Bloody Hands

**Night Eleven ::**

**Bloody Hands.**

* * *

For the past week, the vampire community has been secretly on alert, carefully watching out for any signs of a tan look-a-like of their prince. They were given no actual reason to beware of this 'man', only that he was very dangerous and was wanted by Prince Yami for treason. Blindly loyal, the vampires of the world took heed of Yami's command and warning, though a few were left with questions. Such as Anzu Mazaki, the young daughter of a one of Prince Yami's generals in the Vampire Imperial Army. Although her family wasn't of pure vampire blood, they were still consider of nobility by Yami's order. However, Anzu wasn't one to abuse or even entertain the idea of what her social ranking might gain her. She enjoyed working hard to gain things in life by the normal way, a life lesson her mother and father made sure to teach her from a young age. At the ripe age of seventeen, she was almost ready to take on the world at full force. She was beautiful; eyes blue as the Pacific Ocean, hair the color of smooth milk chocolate, and skin that was identical to a soft pink pearl. Along with her looks, she possessed a heart of gold, intelligence, grace, and even some sass. She, in every aspect, was a mature and independent woman. And just like anyone else her age, she was ready to go and explore the world by herself.

_"Ah man, I wish you could be here, Baby. This is the first year the entire gang can actually attend that giant Gathering party Yami throws every New Years' eve." _

"Yeah it would be, but you know my mom, she doesn't really like large formal parties like the Gathering and with her mother sick, it's impossible for her and me to come, even if she wanted to, we have to watch Grandmother. Maybe all of us can go to the spring dance coming up in April," Anzu spoke into her phone with a gentle and hopeful tone, to her boyfriend of two years, Hiroto Honda.

This evening was just like any other evening, despite Anzu being in her mother's hometown, Heartland City, which was four hours away from Domino City. Anzu and Honda continued their evening ritual of calling each other as the sun was setting for the day, talking about nothing in particular and simply enjoying each other's voices and stories. When she was away from her home in Domino, this was the one thing during the day that Anzu looked forward to. Although Honda could be a babbling idiot sometimes, Anzu loved him and his idiotic self.

_"I forgot about that. I guess we could make up missing the Gathering by going to the school dance, I'll let the guys know. I'm just disappointed I don't get to see my girlfriend rocking a sexy dress," _ Honda added shamelessly, with a sigh of disappointment.

Laughing, Anzu shook her head at Honda's comment. "What if I had just shown up in a suit or my pajamas? Would you still think I would be sexy then?"

_"Are you kidding? Hell yeah I would! Baby, you look good in anything,_" Honda quickly responded with an enthusiastic tone, _"Your body can pull of anything."_

Blushing lightly, Anzu became flustered slightly. Although she was flattered by Honda's compliment, she personally didn't think of herself as such. She didn't find herself ugly, but she didn't think she looked good in everything. "You say that, but Mai Kujaki is much prettier than I am."

_"Anzu, you are gorgeous! Your body is smoking hot just like an actual fire. Mai Kujaki is some model that the Vampire Hunters turned from a nobody into a somebody, with the sole purpose of recruiting closest perverts like Yugi. You aren't even in the same league as her. You have class and qualities that go far beyond lust, Baby."_

The female vampire cracked a smile at her human lover's sweet words. "Are you trying say Yugi has been seduced into joining the Association due to a girl with big breasts, while I've been away?"

_" Are you crazy? Even if the dark side had the hottest chick on the planet, Yugi wouldn't join them! Heck, I don't even think he could stand up for himself in that place, not when it's filled with a bunch of murders. "_

"You don't seriously believe that, right?" Anzu asked her lover skeptically, "The International Vampire Hunter Association isn't completely filled with murders. Sure they have a few rotten apples in their mix, but does that mean all of them is bad?"

Honda was quiet, most likely sulking over what she brought to light to him. _"...I guess they're not all bad."_

"Of course not, they're just like us vampires. We have our share of bad apples in our mix too. Take the rogues and Yami when he's in one of his moods," Anzu spoke with a smile, "You can't blame them for their hostilities, even if some of it is excessive. You just have to learn to accept it and not treat them differently for it, that's all."

_"I get what you're saying, but what about the hunter that murdered your grandfather when you were little?"_

Anzu went silent, trying to gather her bearings as she remembered the horrific experience she witnessed when she was just five. "If he hadn't been killed by that hunter back then, Yami would have ordered my Father to execute him. Grandfather was on the verge of becoming a rogue, anyway."

_" I swear you are one of the most unique creatures in this world. You can offer forgiveness to a murderer, but you're willing to kill another girl if she even looks at me or talks to me,"_ Honda informed his girlfriend, laughing at the weirdness of Anzu's caring nature.

"You're making me sound as if I'm some kind of animal, Hiroto Honda!" Anzu complained loudly, not finding her boyfriend's comment humorous or as a compliment.

_"You're not an animal, but you are something world has never experienced before!"_

"Am not!"

_"Are too!"_

"Am not!"

_"Are too, and you know it! I doubt anyone in the world has fallen fall in love with a girl with a sexy body and a great personality. But here you are with me!"_

Anzu blushed darkly, secretly happy that this conversation was taking place through a phone call and not in person. It wasn't abnormal though, this conversation was just one other ones that ended up with Honda calling her something weird as form of a compliment. Their conversation continued and switched its focus back to what Honda and the others were going to be doing to tomorrow. The two spoke back and forth, each adding on to the conversation until Honda had to leave and help is mother prepare dinner. Once their conversation came to a close and they said their goodbyes, Anzu was left to walk back to her grandmother's home without the comfort of a conversation.

Night would be upon the small town her grandmother inhabited, soon. The sunset of warm oranges and reds was already fading into dark pinks, purples, and navy blues. As Anzu continued her walk back to her grandmother's home, her mind couldn't help but drift off to think about the Gathering on New Year's eve. Maybe she could go, if she asked her mother nice enough and do most of the cores around her grandmother's house. After all, she had a nice dress already prepared and all of her closest friends were going to be a massive party. She couldn't pass up the chance, who knew what could happen to them in just a year's time. With her mind set on asking her mother if she could attend the Gathering, and surprise not only her boyfriend but her friends too, she picked up her walking pace so she could ask her mother in person, quicker.

As she turned at a right corner, Anzu stopped dead in her tracks as ocean blue eyes spotted a cloaked figure standing only a meter away from her. Sniffing the air discreetly, Anzu caught on to the slightly spicy scent of the other, indicating that they were a vampire. Relaxing slightly, Anzu grabbed on to her purse's strap tight and offered a kind smile to the other vampire before her.

"Hello, is there anything I can help you with?" She asked the cloaked vampire with nothing but kindness in her voice.

The other didn't speak, but they did move. The other vampire circled around her, much like a lion did with their prey before pouncing on them. Blue eyes followed the other, not letting the other vampire out of her sight or even revealing her back to them. Anzu's instincts were flaring up, suggesting that this person might be dangerous and they shouldn't allow be trusted.

"Do you need something from me?" She finally asked after the person had circled around her for a fourth time, her free hand reaching out and grabbing the tail of the black cloak the mysterious being wore.

"Yes," A monotone voice spoke in a hushed whisper, barely loud enough for a human's ears to pick up. A tan hand reached out and snatched Anzu's hand that held on to the black cloak of the other vampire.

Anzu's warm and welcoming personal vanished the moment her hand was grabbed. Yanking from the unwelcome person's grip, she glared at them with a look of caution. "What is it you need then? I have to get going, I have somewhere to be."

"My apologies, Lady Masaki."

Anzu froze in place, eyes wide with both fear and shock. "H-How do you know my name?"

The man, at least she thought the vampire was a man, laughed softly. "That is not important. Just answer my question and you will be fine. Do you know of a human by the name of Yugi Mutou?"

The female felt her unbeating heart skip a beat. Yugi? Why did this man want to know is she knew Yugi? Was he in trouble? Did something happened to him? Instead of answering the question, Anzu was silent. She was unsure if she could trust this man hidden behind a cloak, the shadow of his hood masking his face. Everything about this man screamed danger, and Anzu didn't believe she would be able to get home safely after this encounter.

"I'll take your silence as a 'yes'. Since you didn't answer my question directly and were quiet, I want you help with a few things." A tan hand reached out and started to play with a strain of Anzu's brown hair.

The female tried to lift her hand to pull the mysterious man's hand away from her hair, however, Anzu found her body impossible to move. She couldn't even wiggle her toes. It only took her a moment to realize the male vampire playing with her hair, had used compulsion on her body, rendering it paralyzed. Anzu began to panic, just what was this man?

"To be honest, I've never enjoyed the scent of mixed bloods, but you, my dear, do smell rather appealing." The hand playing with her hair slowly started to trail her jawline before taking a hold of her chin and tilting Anzu's head upwards, exposing her neck."It is such a lovely scent, mouthwatering even."

With a hand holding her head in place and keeping her neck exposed, Anzu could only imagine what was going to happen to her. As the other vampire lean in closer to her, she remembered the warning issued out to the vampire community. _Beware of a powerful vampire with tan skin and features of the prince. Do not encounter him and alert the authorities should he be spotted. _Blue eyes began to fill with fearful tears as she felt the warm breath of the other vampire, at her ear.

**_"Lady Mazaki, welcome to the world of rogues."_**

There was no warning after those nightmare-ish words, only the pain as her neck was torn into by the other's fangs and poisoned by his own venom. Anzu screamed, hoping to attract attention, but her mouth was covered just after a second. This was it. This was the end of her life, she just knew it. The sunset was fading away quickly and along with it, was Anzu's consciousness. As her consciousness finally gave way, her last thoughts were filled with regret.

_'I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.'_

* * *

Atem had serious done it now. If biting him and making it to where he was now the damn blood source of not one, but two vampires, hadn't been bad enough; the Original vampire had also vanished that very same night without a single trace, leaving Yugi clueless and liable for all the lives in danger due to Atem's very presence. Well, Atem had been nice enough to leave a note explaining that he would be back soon, but that didn't matter. What the main issue for Yugi with Atem leaving him and his grandpa, was the feeling of being used. That was what pissed him off the most. Just three hours, _three hous_ Atem stayed with them after he drank Yugi's blood. He hadn't hinted at leaving at all and just simply left in the middle of the night. Atem had waited until his powers were full restored, and his body back to his original perfect health from his prime. He had used Yugi and his grandpa as a means of food and protection only, before leaving them. Now four days later, who knew where or what, the Original was doing. Yugi only hoped he hadn't unleashed a monster on to the world.

With his mind preoccupied by angered thoughts towards Atem, Yugi chewed on the straw for his cup, not paying attention to Ryou venting his own anger towards his boyfriend of two years. Yugi had only knew the basics of why his friend was angry, only because Ryou had started about it when they first sat down at the round booth in their favorite fast food joint, Burger World. Apparently Bakura, Ryou's boyfriend, had ruined their matching suits for the Gathering being held tomorrow evening. Knowing Ryou though, Yugi was sure he had fixed it, but his mind was too focused on his own wrath towards Atem, to even listen to the aftermath of the accident.

"-Gi. …Yugi…Yugi!"

"Huh?" Blinking, the scowl on Yugi's face disappeared and he looked up from the table to pay attention to his friends.

"Geez, you were dug in like a tick in your thoughts. What's bothering you?" Malik asked the smallest teen in their group of five. It was only when Malik has asked him what was bothering him, did Yugi realized that he had actually been spacing out more than he thought.

"Oh…Uh, well, it's a long story and complicated," Yugi replied to his sandy blonde haired friend. A very light blush appeared on the teen's face when his three friends turned to stare at him with unbelieving eyes.

"Well, un-complicate it and shorten your story. We want to know what's buggin' ya. Does it have something' to do with that cousin of yours? I swear, I'll lay 'em out flat if he's causing problems for you and Grandpa!" Jou spoke up with a protective tone and fire in his eyes.

Yugi looked at his friends as he thought of how he could work what actually happened with Atem into the cover story he and his grandpa had created for Atem. Yugi sighed heavily and looked away from his friends, he hated lying to those close to him, but this was a necessary evil to keep his friends safe from the burden of carrying Atem's secret with them. "My cousin, Heba, left us. He ran off sometime after midnight about four days ago, but left a note claiming that he would be back soon. I guess…I guess that I'm a little bit upset about him leaving us, after all that we've done for him."

"So he did cause trouble for ya! Tch, that ass. I'll keep an eye out for your Cousin, Yug'. I can't promise that he'll be 'unharmed' if I find him and send his happy ass home to ya'," Jonouchi spoke up again, his voice quickly going from anger to confident and friendly in a mere second.

"Maybe he needed to go somewhere alone? I wouldn't worry about it too much, Bakura disappears on me all the time and only leaves me a note to let me know where he wondered off to."

"Oh yeah, Ry? Last time he did that, Yami was down a man because you were abusing him," Malik teased Ryou, earning a smack on his forearm and a playful scowl from the white haired teen. "Don't worry Yugi, he'll show up. I would ask Marik to search for your cousin, but I've never meet him so I don't know what to tell my troublemaker to look for."

"Oh, I have some pictures of him, hold on," Pulling out his cell phone, Yugi unlocked the device before scrolling through his pictures to find a suitable picture of Atem. Over the past few days, Yugi had secretly taken several pictures of Atem. It was weird that he had took so many photos of the vampire without his knowledge, but something in his mind told him that he should do it for Yami. The logic behind this thought was something Yugi figured would be hopeless in the long run; that these picture would one day bring Yami happiness.

"Here," Yugi laid his iPhone down on the table so his friends could see a picture of Atem happily talking to his grandfather while wearing a simple white t-shirt and black form fitting skinny jeans. He had taken the photo just two days prior to today. It was also one of Yugi's favorite ones, it captured the more casual and childlike side of the regal vampire.

"Hmm," Malik leaned forward with a thoughtful look as his lavender eyes were trained on the photo of Atem, "Are you sure this is your cousin?"

"Yes, Malik, this is my cousin," Yugi confirmed for his friend, laughing a bit and offering him a smile. "Why did you asked that? Do you know him?"

"No, I don't, but Marik told me to stay away from someone who he fits a description of a tan Yami, but a little taller and well…has the eyes of a rogue. Apparently, he's on the top of the wanted list in the Vampire Kingdom."

"So the guy that Bakura and Marik is hunting, looks like this?" Ryou asked Malik, pointing to Atem. This caused Yugi to tense up, did this mean Yami knew that Atem was in their area? Yugi frowned at his friend's conversation, he hoped his friends hadn't started to think that he was related some massive criminal who took shelter in his house.

"Do you know anything Jou? You're a vampire, has Yami told you anything?" Ryou asked hopefully, tilting his head in a curious fashion.

Jou closed his eyes and hummed as he rubbed his temples with both of his index fingers, attempting to remember something that he may be of some use. "Well, nothin' has been asked of me personally. Though Money bags has been a little bit more of a tight ass, and…oh yeah! Yami did issue a secret warnin' out to the vampire community through his messengers verbally. Apparently we are to be cautious and on the lookout for a tan Yami impersonator. He's wanted for some kind of act of treason and Yami thinks that he's a threat to all of vampire kind, but eh. I think he's just over paranoid since the increased rogue activity. Bet he's worried this guy will try to replace him because he just 'looks' like him," Jou finished his ramble with a shrug of his shoulders, "It's nothin' out of the normal. He's always warnin' us about somethin'. Heck last year, he warned the entire race about my hunger, because he was afraid I would clean out all the blood banks!"

The three humans in the group of four laughed loudly at Jou's comment, earning a proud grin from the dirty golden blonde haired vampire. Leave it to Jou to be able to lift the mood and break tension easily by either coming up with some terrible joke or by making fun of himself. Ryou was the first to stop laughing and recover from his laughing fit, flashing an innocent grin at his vampire friend. "Too bad that actually happen though. Are you still banned from having a feeder and the blood banks, or is it pro-choice now?"

"Pro-choice, and no," Jou quickly responded with a hint of red starting to dust his lightly tan face, "I've been off the hook for six months now. If they didn't want people with a large appetites to drink more than two pints of blood a day, then the vampire officials should have set guidelines about how much blood a person could drink at a time!"

"They did," Ryou told Jonouchi with a smile. "Right after you sucked Domino City's blood bank dry!"

The rowdy male huffed at the British teen's comment and turned his head away to look out the window he was sitting next to. "Still not my damn fault, each bag of blood taste different and just fuckin' amazing! It's like having an endless arrangement of burgers!"

"I bet it makes you miss eating normal foo, huh?" Yugi asked, elbowing his best friend lightly with a teasing smile.

"Well nah duh. But at least there's solid vampire food, I'd die if I had to only drink my 'food' and not get to eat normally." Jonouchi said sounding exacerbated and slung an arm around his tri-colored haired friend. "Tell what though, you and your Gramps make the best food for me. I don't know how you guys do it, but it makes me feel so loved. You know the way to my stomach."

Yugi snickered and gave his friend a guanine smile, "Don't you mean 'the way to your heart'?"

"Eh, same thing. Heart, stomach; potato, _po-ta-toe, _" Jou shrugged before picking up his cup to take a sip of the cow's blood in his cup.

"Pfft, I think that two very different things, Jou," Malik spoke up and tossed a fry in his mouth. "Your heart pumps blood through your body, while your stomach digests food."

"Yeah, I know that," Jou huffed and scowled at Malik's tone of voice. "I'm not an idiot, contrary to all of you guys' belief. My heart isn't exactly 'functional' at the moment. Care to check my pulse and see?" The vampire stretched out his arm over the table towards Malik, wiggling his fingers in the tan male's face tauntingly.

Malik rolled his eyes and shoved Jonouchi's arm away. Ryou and Yugi laughed at the silly display, finding the way Jou and Malik reacted to each other's taunts amusing. The group finishing eating the food they had ordered earlier, with light conversation about what they could do in order to spice things up at the formal event tomorrow evening. All four teenagers weren't sure if they could survive the boring gala like event. If it was anything like Yami's birthday parties, Yugi was sure his brain might rot from the sheer boredom of the social gathering. Once all the hamburgers, fries, and drinks and been either devoured or slurped up, the group of teens left the fast food establishment and headed in the direction of the Mutou house hold.

The walk to the Mutou family household reminded Yugi of simpler times, back before he and any of his friends were entangled with this vampire mess. That had been a long time ago, when all four of them plus Honda and Anzu, had been in their finally year of junior high. Back then, they would walk from school to Burger world, get food, then to Yugi's home or the arcade to hang out. Yugi missed those days where he and his friends had been blissfully ignorant and innocent from all evil, but he wouldn't give anything up to have that life again. He was strong now, had went through hell, saved a life, became wiser, and had found some sort of place in this world. He loved this life, he just…he just need to get adjusted and deal with a few things first before he could become comfortable with it.

It took Yugi and his friends half an hour to reach Kame game shop, Yugi's home, after they had swung by Honda's house to pick up their brown pointy haired friend. Their peaceful walk had been filled with simple conversations and lighthearted taunts towards each other. When the group of males rounded the corner and the game shop came into view, Yugi heard a sigh escape from Ryou and looked at his friend slightly baffled.

"It feels like forever since I've visited your home with friends, Yugi. It's like I'm finally coming home to my mum and sister, " The British teen informed his shortest friend with a fond smile.

Yugi gave soft laugh and matched Ryou's smile with one of his own. "Yeah, it has been a while since use guys had last came here to hang out. Back before Jou went and crossed over to the dark side for their cookies," Yugi replied with a joyful tone, avoiding the subject of his friend's late parent and late sister.

"Hey!" Jou yelled out scowling at Yugi's comment. "It wasn't my choice! Kaiba changed me before I could even utter my refusal!"

"He's right, Yugi. Besides aren't you the one flirting with dark side? Last time I came here, I found some very _interesting_ choices of **literature** hiding under your bed," Malik spoke up, slinging an arm around Yugi's shoulders as he watched the second youngest teen of the group of five blush a bright red.

"I-I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Uh huh, sure you don't know about the Magazines featuring the Dark magician girl and several other human-like duel monster cosplayers in 'suggestive' poses. I bet if I look under your bed, they'll still be there with a few new additions of course."

"How do you know they're under my bed still?"

"So you do admit that you have porno mags," Honda joined in with the teasing.

"No, I don't!" Yugi protested loudly.

"There's only one way to find out if you're lying or not, Jou, Ryou, Honda, make a run for it!" Malik shouted to the other two boys, before sprinting off towards the game shop to beat Yugi to his room and search for the pornography magazines the all knew the short human possessed.

"H-Hey, guys!" Yugi called out to his friends before taking off in a sprint after his friends. Somehow, despite all of his training in the International Vampire Hunter Association, Yugi was still slower than his four best friends. He struggled to keep with his friends, following them close behind as the darted into his grandfather's shop and attempted to run upstairs to his room. It was moments like this one, which had Yugi questioning what the hell he had done in his past life to be cursed with his short legs.

As the young boy can in to his grandfather's shop, he caught a glimpse of Ryou's long white hair going into the back room where the stairs to their home was located. "Hey Grandpa, bye Grandpa-ah-ah!" Yugi had attempted to rush past his guardian without a second thought, but was caught by the collar of the sleeveless black shirt he wore, and pulled to his grandfather's side.

"Just one minute boy, I need to have a word with you," The elder told his grandson firmly, releasing his shirt as Yugi turned to look at him, clearly disappointed.

"But Grandpa," Yugi started, his voice sounding slightly like he was winning, much like a complaining child, "Malik, Jonouchi, Honda, and Ryou are going to mess up my room if I don't get there first!"

"This is more important that your room," Solomon told Yugi seriously. "I have a message from 'Max'."

Yugi blinked in brief confusion as he tried to recall who Max was, if it wasn't for the seriousness of his grandfather's voice, Yugi wouldn't have thought of his commander-and-chief, Maximilian Pegasus. He was the only that could get his grandfather to act so sternly, not even Yami Sennen had achieved that level, yet. Yugi narrowed his eyes to match the seriousness of the conversation. "What did he have to say?"

"On January ninth, you are to meet him at Starbucks Coffee, for a cup of coffee. He would also like you to bring the papers of your latest mission assignment, he would like to make some adjustments to your mission," Yugi's grandfather informed Yugi in a hushed tone before offering his grandson a smile and returning his focus back to filling the store's cash register with change. "Be sure to play nice with him that day and tell him 'hello' for me. Now go clean up the disaster awaiting you in your room. I believe Mahad will be here around six o'clock and it's already half-past four."

Yugi frowned, but nodded his head before retreating upstairs to go to his room, his mind was clouded by thoughts of what possibly awaited him with his first meeting with Pegasus. Why would the superior hunter want to change his mission? He _never_ adjusted a mission for any of the hunters under him, so why him? Shaking his head to clear his mind from such thoughts, Yugi decided it would be best to save them for another time to sort out. Right now, he had to save his room annihilation!

After taking the stairs two at a time and practically sprinting the through halls leading towards his room, Yugi arrived at his door way to find his door wide open and his friends scattered around his room with his private collection of magazines. Yugi's face became inflamed with a red blush and he quickly stormed into his room to confiscate the magazines, starting with the one Ryou had just opened.

"H-Hey! I was -" The white hair male looked at Yugi prepared to protest and when he caught the sight of his best friend's glare, all of his resistance died on his tongue.

"Guys, stop snooping!" Yugi huffed, taking a magazine from Malik and several from Jonouchi. Despite having a deep blush on his face from embarrassment, Yugi still manage to look firm and retain some dignity as he placed the dirty magazines in a box and proceeded to shove the box under his bed.

"Oh come on, Yug'. It's not like you're committing any crime by having magazines, besides, I gave you most of those!" Jonouchi proudly claimed, as he lounged on his friend's bed, like it was his own. In fact, all of his friends were acting like his room was theirs, but Yugi didn't mind. The game shop and his home, was the one place his friends could go to and escape their troubles of reality. Jonouchi came here before he moved out of his father's house, to escape his drunken stupor. Malik came here to avoid his sister's mood swings during her time of the month. Ryou occasionally came over for food when he ran out of money. And Honda always retreated to Yugi's home when he and Anzu had a fight. The Mutou household was a sanctuary, offering a place of shelter and comfort when someone was in need of a temporary home. Though to Yugi, sometimes his home felt like a cage more than a place of freedom. It held constant reminders of the choices he had made and the failures of his family's past.

Yugi gently, smacked Jonouchi on the back of the head as he took a seat next to his friend and gazed at the others with his normal smile. Honda was leaning against the wall to his right, Malik was sitting in his swivel chair to his desk, and Ryou was sitting on his desk. It was their typical positions in his room, as normal. At least, with everything that had changed in his life, it was nice to know his friends hadn't changed. It was a reassuring anchor in Yugi's currently chaotic life.

"Guys, we need to do something tonight, since we're all going to be staying together at the Muran Estate," Ryou suggest with enthusiasm as he kicked his feet lightly in the air. " Yami, Marik, and Bakura won't be home till late, as told by Bakura, so we'll be alone until at least two in the morning, I believe."

"Don't forget, " Jou sat up and slung his arm around Yugi's shoulders in a playful way, " We gotta' celebrate this guy for finally joining the dark side with us! How does it feel to finally be with us leeches, Yug'?"

Honda, Malik, and Yugi were all trying to keep their snickering to themselves while Ryou shook his head with a sigh.

"You've practically been a leech ever since I met you, Jonouchi," Yugi informed his dirty blonde haired friend with a bright smile. "But since you asked, nothing's change much, other than I have more responsibilities and I have to deal with a grouch. But I'm hopeful things will just settle into a peaceful groove, like normal."

"Haha! Well, you're out of luck with that hope, Yugi! Things are never peaceful with a vampire. Just look at Jonouchi now, he's a lot more moody and whinny, than his human self. Vampires are like girls on their periods, bloody and moody; but every single week!" Malik informed Yugi, making a face at his own analogy. While both Yugi and Ryou made a face of disgust, Jou and Honda were howling with laughter.

"I have to disagree, Anzu is never moody. The only time she becomes upset is when she hasn't had her bagged blood," Honda spoke once he calmed himself, "Maybe it's just the males that are moody."

"What if the vampire race is reversed from the humans? Maybe the guys experience their own type of PMS?" Yugi suggested with a few laughs escaping from him as he joked.

"It all makes sense now! I bet they do have PMS!" Malik added with fake shock as he eyed Jonouchi, only to earn a scowl from said male vampire.

"I don't have PMS! It's just hunger-swings!" he practically yelled out in defense.

"Hunger-swings?" all the humans in Yugi's room asked aloud together in an imperfect sync.

"Y-Yeah!" Jonouchi stuttered from his slight embarrassment, but his voice was confident. "It's like…mood swings, but you only get them when you're hungry."

It was silent in the same bedroom, before a chorus of different laughs filled the space, with Jonouchi's only joining in with his friends soon after the laughing had started. It took a full minute for the group of friends to calm down their laughs. Only Jonouchi would be the person to let their hunger affect their mood in extreme ways. Only Jonouchi, and his bottomless-pit of a stomach.

Yugi stood up from his bed with his laughter almost calmed and walked towards his closet. "Okay, I need to get packed for my stay tonight." He announced as he pulled out a medium sized black duffel bag and threw it on to his bed, begin mindful not to hit Jonouchi.

"Don't forget for the two nights following the Gathering," Ryou chimed in as Yugi started to search through his closet for an appropriate outfit to wear before the large party.

"Ah, right. Thanks, Ry'," Yugi said, sounding focused, as he tried to pick out something decent to wear. He debated on taking the suit he typically wore to formal occasions, but Yami had already ordered him a suit. However, he had no idea if it would even fit right on him. Yami had been pretty pissed that he had to ask Ryou for his clothing information.

"Ryou, did Yami get the information he needed about my suit, from you?" Yugi asked as he took a white graphic t-shirt off a hanger and draped it over his shoulder. "Do you think I should bring the suit I have?"

"He did, and you can, but you won't be wearing it to the Gathering, feeders have a specific dress code, along with attending vampires," Ryou answered Yugi as he and Malik started to look at the items and papers laying on Yugi's desk. "Human feeders wear a grey suit with a vest with a color their vampire dawns. A vampire where a pure white suit with a vest that is color of their choice, any color but red. The color red is reserved for royal family members."

"I'm assuming I'll be wearing red and gray, then," Yugi spoke more to himself than to his friends as he took three more shirts off of hangers and began to hunt for matching pairs of pants.

"Not exactly, pal," Jonouchi spoke up and scratched the back of his head. "Money bags was explaining it to me last year, and the only ones that gets to wear red are those of the royal family, aka, the Originals. He went on a spew how only red, and any variation of it can only be worn by an Original vampire. And since the Originals are either dead or MIA, no one wears red."

"Then what color does Yami wear?" Yugi asked, looking back Jou in confusion.

"Erm, he's actually wearin' an off version of magenta and white….maybe it's a red-violet? It's one of those colors."

"But those are still versions of red," Yugi argued.

"Actually, if a color has red in it, it can still be worn just not colors like firebrick, crimson, and well red. So it's fine." Malik spoke up. "Otherwise, oranges, pinks, and purples, wouldn't be allowed. Even brown too."

"Oh," Yugi felt stupid for his confusion, but didn't dwell on the feeling as he finished getting his main outfits from his closet and returned to his bed to lay them down. He remained quiet as he went to his dresser to pick out pajamas, socks, and underwear; but his friends continued to talk about different things.

"So, Yami dragged our vampires out to Heartland city; do you know why Ryou?" Malik asked the white haired British teen.

"Not really, I know it involved with helping search for a possible rogue in the area, but there something else Bakura mentioned but I can't remember it," Ryou replied.

"Heartland? That's where Masaki went to visit her Grandma, right Honda?" Jou asked as he laid completely back on Yugi's bed to relax and stretch his legs out.

"I think so, I didn't really pay much attention to where she was going, just the dates," Honda replied as he scratched the back of his head, "I can call and ask, but I haven't heard from her at all today, so she might be busy."

"Nah, don't do that. I'm sure it's nowhere near her, so we shouldn't worry about it, " Jou said as he waved his hand lazily in the air, "Hey Yug', you about done? I'm startin' to turn gray over here-umph!" Jou was silenced by a pair of Yugi's underwear hitting him in the face as Yugi missed his aim of his bag, and hit Jonouchi instead. Muffled laughed erupted sporadically in the room as Jou removed the pair of boxers from his face. "Real smooth Mutou, real smooth."

"S-Sorry Jou, I didn't, haha, I didn't mean to hit you!" Yugi attempted to apologize as he tried to calm his laugh, his hand braced on his knees as he laughed at his mistake.

"Yeah, well just hurry it up," Jonouchi said, not sounding too pleased nor accepting of Yugi's apology, "I want to leave before I get hit with another pair of your underwear."

More laughter echoed in the room from Jou's comment, but Yugi managed to reply without letting his get in the way, "I can't make any promises, Jou."

* * *

_"Hey, look at that, do you see it?" A tan hand pointed up at the sky, picking out the brightest star in sky. "Do you know the significance of this star, Yami?"_

_"It's just a star, what about it?" Yami replied, turning his head to look at the man lying next to him in the warm sand._

_The older male chuckled and smiled, not taking his eyes off the star, but lowered his hand. "It's not just a star, it is Sopdet*. The brightest star in the sky. It's even more important than Polaris. Sopdet is our star of guidance, it signals the flooding of the Nile through its helical rising, it marks the day Ra will take his longest journey through the sky. Sopdet is the physical manifestation of hope for the humans, and for us Vampires as well. Sopdet is said to be the star which witnessed our birth, the birth of the first vampire."_

_Yami blinked in awe and looked up at the sky again, "Why is it a symbol of hope for us? It marks the passage of time for humans, but for vampires, time isn't very relevant."_

_"You're still have some growing to do, I see." The other vampire teased and his smile grew as he took a hold of the younger vampire's hand. "As long as Sopdet shines brightly, then we are at our strongest. However, there are four days out of the year where which we are at our weakest; the four days before Sopdet's helical rising. During those four days, vampires are weaker, and an original vampire's magic will be weakened greatly. There for, it is our hope. Without our hope, we have no strength, no will. Besides that, it was also on the day of Sopdet's helical rising that I was blessed by the gods to meet you." Rolling over, the tan vampire hovered over Yami and pressed their foreheads together, his eyes were closed but his signature smile was on his face._

_"It's our star, Yami. It shines the brightest and the strongest. Even when it falls from the sky, it comes back again, just as strong or even stronger. Like my love for you, it is always there, even when masked by the darkness."_

_Yami's cheeks were painted with a dim red, barely noticeably in the light of the moonless night sky. "Sometimes it's hard to believe you're a ruler of a country when you say such things." Yami mumbled, averting his eyes, "It makes me wonder if you would even connect pissing to something completely unrelated to it…like art, or something."_

_The older vampire pulled away from Yami to gaze at him with blazing red eyes. "Way to ruin the moment, Yami. If I'm not mistaken, it was you who first connected pissing to art. You used to draw face in the sand with your pee!"_

_Yami huffed and turned his head away from the other, saying nothing. He closed his eyes, but when they opened again, his surroundings had changed…_

_He was older and in their shared room. His head was resting on the shoulder of the one he loved, his arms were wrapped around the other's waist as his lover gazed up at night sky. "It'll be okay, it'll be back, remember? Ra will rise from the dark with Sopdet right beside him. Just relax, Atem." He nuzzled the king's neck and placed a kiss against his neck._

_"I know Yami, it's just… harder now. The court wants me to feed from Heba, but it won't do much good." The royal replied with a sigh, his hand laying on Yami's head._

_"Maybe it's time for you to feed directly from him? Or you could feed from me-"_

_"No. Neither of those options would do any good. Heba would die and you would be bedridden for days. There's no good with that, but why not go draw us a bath? Heba will be here shortly with a goblet for me to drink from, and afterwards, the three of us can bathe together." The royal told Yami and rand his hand through Yami's hand. "Go do that for me, I'll be in the bathing chamber soon."_

_Giving Yami a kiss on the forehead, the vampire king sent his lover on his way. Little did Yami know, that would be the last time he would hold a conversation with Atem. When he returned, Atem would be on the floor, covered in his and Heba's blood. A dagger would be through his heart and-_

"What?!" Yami snapped sitting up in the front passenger seat of the jet black 2016 Range Rover Sport Shada had been driving, to glare at Shada.

"We're here, my prince," The formal vampire priest informed Yami and retracted the hand that has shaken the current leader of the vampire race, awake. "We can begin searching for our target whenever you wish to do so."

_'Oh, right,' _Yami gave a nod to Shada. He unfastened his seat belt and exited the luxury SUV silently, already dismissing the dream he had to focus on the task at hand.

Heartland City. A city just a few hours away from Domino city, it was home to a mass amount of noble and pure blood vampire families. Normally, the luxurious city was very quiet and peaceful, but for a week things have been amiss. Vampires of nobility have been vanishing without a trace and left the city paranoid and fearful. Not wanting the events to go public, Yami decided to do a person investigation. He was worried, not that he would every admit it, but he had the suspension that the former king could be behind this.

There was only one thing wrong with his suspension, he had no hard proof the Original was alive. He only had little things, like Yugi's ramblings after their second feeding session, when the shadows attacked him and the noble court, and the Pharaoh's missing body. While he believed the other was now a rogue vampire out for blood, Yami also still had the belief that maybe Atem's body had just given out and it was his spirit haunting him for his sins. The current vampire ruler's eyes were a blazing crimson as he looked around the bright streets of Heartland. It was noticeably less active from his previous visits to the area.

Crimson eyes flicker to both Bakura and Marik as they exited Bakura's silver 2015 Ford Mustang. Both of them were dressed in their 'official' execution outfit: white button up shirts, black slack, long black trench coats, and their choice of foot attire. Bakura wore worn-out black Chuck Taylors with unrecognizable stains that was made up of blood, and Marik's choice of foot wear was dark brown combat boots that look almost brand new. Yami gave nod of acknowledgement to them as straighten out his own black trench coat. Yami's own choice of attire was causal compared the three accompanying him. He dawned his favored black leather pants, black studded boots, and a deep crimson v-neck long sleeved t-shirt under his own black trench coat. However, Shada stuck out the most, with the traditional priest robes he wore.

"Search for any abnormalities, question civilians, and search for any scents of a rogue vampire," Yami told the small group he had gathered to search Heartland city. "If you find something, let the others know immediately. The quicker we do so, the quicker we can go home. "

"Heh, are you sure it's a good Idea for us to split up and leave you alone? If you're so sure your dead lover is alive, then wouldn't it be best to surround yourself with as many people possible? You know, in case he attacks you?" Marik asked Yami casually leaning against a street light pole with his signature, wicked smile. "Are you that confident you'll be able to tame him by just letting him 'tap' you again?"

Yami glared at the sandy blonde haired vampire with a look that displayed his anger about the comment completely. Marik bit his tongue to hold back his laughter, knowing Yami would punish him severally if over stepped his boundaries again. He turned his head to Bakura, hoping his partner in crime would help him out of the hole he dug, but the former thief was on the phone speaking to what had to be his partner/feeder. Bakura was only that respectful and calm towards Ryou.

Yami dismissed his executioners, knowing Marik would relay his message to his white hair counter-part. Looking to Shada, Yami motioned with his hand for the priest to follow him. He wasn't a fool, Yami knew he was no match for the former king, even if he had the true power of an original backing him up. He wouldn't have the experience or knowledge to wield it in the way Atem did. Shada obediently followed behind his superior, silent as a whispering breeze. Out of all of the priest from Atem's reign, Shada was the only one who could tell if a vampire was truly who they claimed to be. The millennium item he controlled, the millennium key, was the only one able detect the true powers locked away in a vampire, other than the shattered millennium puzzle.

Nothing was said as Yami headed towards his first destination with Shada trailing behind him. They walked, walking the same path that their victim of priority must have walked last night on her way back to her grandmother's home. Anzu Mazaki, General Toshiro Mazaki's daughter; one of the best commanding officers of the Vampire Imperial Army's daughter. Normally, cases like her wouldn't be touched until the day after, and especially not investigated by Yami personally. However, the 'Prince' was fearful for the female and he owed it to her family to search for clues surrounding why she hasn't came home from her grocery store trip she took yesterday evening. That, and she was the newest disappearance in Heartland City. Yami was certain they would be able to dig something up by investigating her disappearance first, while her scent still lingered in the streets.

Minutes passed by, but Yami and Shada were still following the Mazaki's daughter's fading scent without a single clue turning up in their search. Red and brown eyes were scanning their surroundings continuously, looking for even the slightest amount of evidence. As they passed a shaded ally, Yami attempted to continue down the sidewalk, but Shada grabbed the back of his coat to halt him. " Here. Something dark happened here," The priest spoke up and pointed into the ally.

Yami nodded and turned to face the darkened path, his crimson eyes blazing as they scanned the darker area for something new. It didn't take him long to spot the sight of pink bag laying on the ground from inside the ally and the ruler made an inquiring hum. "Shada, follow me and keep on alert," Was Yami's only words to the man as he took cautious strides into the shade and towards the bag that laid abandoned on the ground.

Yami didn't hesitate to bend down and grab to pink purse on the ground. He picked up the bag by its sole strap and held it up to his nose, inhaling the scent that clung to it. It was the girl's, her scent was strong on the item, but so was another one. One that was familiar to Yami, but so faint he couldn't remember who it belonged to. "Shada," Yami stood to his full height, still holding the purse. Turning, he handed the purse to the priest. "Other than my own, whose scent do you smell on this bag?" It was a test, one to make sure he wasn't hallucinating in his desire to lay a possible killer to rest.

Taking the Bag from Yami, the pries sniffed the bag's strap and body, picking up any possible leads the accessory offered. "Lady Mazaki's scent is very strong, but so is another. It smells almost identical to our King, but it's different. Not as predominant or warming. It is rotting, much like one of the beasts plaguing our world."

Yami's eyes darkened as Shada confirmed his conclusion. "So it is his, then? Atem's scent on this girl's purse?"

"That is a possibility, but it could also not be his. We don't know how his change has affected his scent. However, it is still a very high possibility it could be his," The priest answered, his brown eyes locked on the purse he was holding in his hands. "I would still like to think he, our Pharaoh, has found peace with in the shadows, and hasn't fallen to such a degenerated state."

"Mmmm," Yami had no words to say to the priest. He could not offer comfort when he was both pleased and upset, himself. He found poof, at long last, he had proof that Atem was revived, but it was proof that his and the Sacred Guardian's original theory had been correct. The Late Pharaoh Atem, previous ruler of the Vampire race, had fallen to his blood lust and had lost himself to his inner beast. It was hard to think someone like Atem had fallen so easily, but Yami...he only thought about the safety of his people. He felt nothing towards the previous leader and he would gladly kill the other to bring peace to his people again.

Pulling out his cellphone, Yami dialed the number for Bakura's phone and called the other vampire to inform him of his and Shada's findings.

_"Yeah?"_

"We have a lead. Come to –" Yami was cut off by the sound of loud cackling of someone's sinister laughter. Looking around his surroundings, the pure blood quickly to noticed of the two intelligent rogue vampires peering down from the building to his right.

**_"Look at this, look at this. Do you see them too, brother?"_**

**"I see them sister! Just as he said, the Prince came to our baby sister's birthplace in search for him!"**

Yami's eyes narrowed and he signaled for Shada to take care of the two pest while he quickly wrapped up his phone call with Bakura.

_"Are you just going to ignore me, you spoiled prince? What's going on over there?" _Bakura's annoyed tone echo over phone, clearly not happy with being ignored.

"Some minor complications, follow my scent from the cars and come to our location. Quickly," Yami ended the call, and pocketed his phone, just in time to see the rogue vampires jumped down from the perch on the building as Shada began uttering ancient enchantments from their forgotten language.

Level B rogues, intelligent fallen vampires who can withstand being out in the sun, but still are under control of a higher and more powerful rogue. As the duo landed on their feet, Yami took up a fighting stance, crouched low in defense. He wouldn't be able to fight them head on, not with the dark magic he used not responding to him willingly. He wasn't like Marik or Bakura, he was strong but lacked the experience in physical combat. It was a short coming of his, a great one.

**_"Should we bring them in?" _** The male rogue asked his red and black eyes focused on Yami's crouched form as he licked his lips.

**"No, no. Our orders were to 'entertain' the Prince. We could bring in the guy in the funny get up, but the starfish hair guy stays," **The female replied to her 'brother', smirking as she brushed her brown bangs out of her face. **"Let's show him our new abilities. What do you say brother? Wouldn't that make father proud?"**

**_"Let's do it! But first, test the waters, see what or little starfish can do before he reward him."_**

Yami felt his eyes twitch as he listened to the two rogues speak to each other. His eyes shifter from him as he waited for Shada to finish with his spell. For now, the other pure blood vampire was defenseless, which left Yami the responsibility to protect Shada and himself.

The rogues crouched low in offensive positions and snarling like wild rabid beasts. The female lept into an attack first, hands aimed for Yami's throat. He expecting that and with a natural grace, Yami countered the attack by aiming a powerful side kick into the rogue's stomach. His attack however, left him vulnerable and the second rogue Vampire managed to land a powerful left hook to the prince's face. Growling, Yami bared his fangs and cut his eyes at the snickering male rogue, who paused to celebrate his victory. Yami took advantage of the male's brief pause, landing his own powerful punch on the other's face. This time when he attacked, he was prepared for the other rogue to attack him and was able to quickly counter the kick aimed for his lower back. Yami grabbed the female's leg and used her as a shield, letting her brother's double jab combo hit her body as he pushed the vampire into the other vile beast.

**"Hey! Watch where you're aiming your punches moron! Hit him, not me!" **The female snarled at her partner, and rubbed her tender stomach.

**_"Well next time don't become a living meat shield, you idiot! If you can't handle a little hit, maybe you should transform already."_**

Transform? That caught Yami's attention and heightened his guard. His crimson eyes narrowed and he kept his breathing even. The only vampire he knew that could transform was an Original and the only original was currently walking around half dead. Did these two fools somehow gain that ability from tasting the fallen king's blood? Or were the rogues evolving to better adapt to this world? Yami's head was buzzing with a thousand questions, but they would soon be answered.

**_"-Fine then! We'll both do it at the same time."_**

**"Fine!"**

**_"Good."_**

**"Great."**

The female huffed, getting the last word of the minor argument she had with her brother before she closed her eye, her brother doing the same.

The pair start chanting in sync, speaking in ancient tongues that Yami recognized faintly. He refused to let old memories distract him now as he prepared for the worse. Despite that, his memories refused to be suppressed as the voice of the person he used to love, filled his ears along with the rogue vampires and the sudden screeching of the wind.

_'What you are about to see is the form in which all originals are born in. It is the curse which we all share…. And to suppress it or release it…. We use the king's prayer and oath-"_

The wind subsided and Yami tensed as his red eyes witnessed the sickening morphing as bones broke and reformed and new appendages grew from the rogues' bodies. When the transformation final halted it was clear what the two were, they were failed recreations of the deadliest creature to have lived on the planet.

Each rogue's fangs had grown large and sharper, their nail had turn into claws, they had become taller and misshaped. The female hand incomplete set of wings and hunched back, her hair had grown longer and was pooling at her feet. The male rogue had grew a devil like tail from his lower back and had three uneven horns protruding from the top of his head. His skin was discolored and looked grey. Yami hissed and bared his fangs at the rogues as if they had insulted everything he lived for. These two had to die.

**_"Do we scare you now? Oh, mighty Prince Yami. Kehehehee!"_**

Yami cracked his knuckles and didn't say a word. He just hope Shada hurried up with his enchantment before time ran out for them.

* * *

"Ouch."

Yugi hissed as he felt the familiar sting of the needle of his insulin pen stabbing into the flesh of his upper thigh. Once the medication had been injected into his system, he pulled the medical pen away and rubbed the inflicted area gently with his thumb, smearing some of the blood that started to pool on his skin. Once the pain was soothed away by his light massage, Yugi put away the pen properly, before he used an alcohol swab to wipe the blood from his leg and covered his small wound with a simple bandage.

"You okay in there pal?" Jou asked through the door with a light knock.

"Yeah! I'm good, thanks for asking," The human replied in his normal up-beat tone of voice as he finished cleaning up his small mess and washed his hands. Once he was finished, Yugi left the bathroom and returned his insulin kit to his bag before he reclaimed his seat on Ryou's bed. "Sorry again guys, I didn't mean to interrupt our movie," Yugi apologized as he straightened out his light grey basketball shorts.

"Oh, you don't have to apologize Yugi. I would much rather pause a movie for you to take care of yourself rather than spend the next day at the hospital," Ryou reassured his friend and offered Yugi a bright smile.

Yugi smiled back and turned his attention back to the widescreen television in Bakura's room as the white haired teen resumed their movie; _Avatar.  
_  
Malik was already asleep on the floor and the group of friends were barely even an hour into the film created by James Cameron. Yugi settled back against the pillows as he let his mind wonders as he watched the movie about a beautiful planet inhabited by gigantic blue aliens, not paying attention that much to the movie.

Tomorrow was the Gathering and New Years Eve. Tomorrow, he will become a symbol for many reasons. He would be a symbol of hope for the other feeders in the world, and example for them to follow. However, he will also be a target of hatred, he would be hated by his brothers and sisters in the Hunter Association, a disgrace and an enemy. Mai and Rebecca were surely going to hate him now, if the hadn't already for not contacting them since Halloween. Yugi wondered if he could claim to be sick, maybe even skip taken his insulin after breakfast to avoid going to the event. But the human knew he wouldn't do that, he wouldn't abuse his minor disorder. That just wouldn't be right.

Yugi sighed softly through his nose as he watch the movie, the Gathering was the least of his worries. He still had his mission and then there was Atem too. Yugi looked around the room at his friends, before returning his gaze back on the movie screen. He couldn't let his friends get involved in this mess he was in. Things were bound to get messy soon, especially when Atem decide to reveal himself to Yami. It was only a matter of time before the Original showed himself to the world and Yugi's lie became a death sentence. If Yami didn't kill him first, then the public would. Yugi can already see the headlines. '_NEW ROYAL VAMPIRE FEEDER, HABORS MISSING KING. TRAITOR OR SAVIOR?'_

Yugi placed both his hands on his bare stomach and drummed them against his bare flesh to ease some of his anxiety without worrying his friends, particularly Ryou, who was next to him. He would say a prayer tonight, asking every god in existence to watch over his family and keep them safe from his stupidity. Closing his eyes, Yugi listened to the beautiful soundtrack of the movie that played and less exciting words the characters shared with each other. He focused on those sounds, hoping hat they would help ease the stress he created by thinking about his troubles. Before Yugi even knew it, he had drifted asleep and slumped over, laying on his British friend.

…

…

_'…Hey, kid.'_

Yugi groaned feeling someone poking his cheek, opening a round violet eye to glare at the culprit, Yugi was greeted by a blinding bright light. Groaning, the teen sat up as he shielded his eyes from the light. Where was he? This wasn't Ryou's room in the Muran Estate. As his eyes adjusted to the bright light, Yugi found himself sitting on warm golden sand with bright blue skies above him. In front of him, was a lush oasis. Palm trees provided shade, along with a few other desert plants that thrived around the life giving pool. However, what caught his attention wasn't to oasis itself, but the young male sitting on the surface of the water and gazing at him. … The person looked him, it was like looking into a mirror despite a few differences.

_'You're wake, finally. I was beginning to wonder if you would ever be able to hear me.'_

He spoke. His voice was just a little deeper than his, but had roughness to it that reminded him of Jonouchi.

"Who are you? Where are we?" Yugi asked, unable to take his eyes away from his doppelganger. By now, he could recognize the differences between him and the person sitting on the water. The male in front of him was older, had tan skin much like Atem's, his spiked hair was a deep brown like Yugi's grandfather's in his younger days, and the other male's eyes was more angular than his.

_'My name isn't important at the moment, and I'm not quite sure about the location either.'_

Yugi made a disappointing frown. Well, that had explained a lot. This person didn't seem willing to give him an information.

_' I think you're still asleep, if that's what you meant by 'Where we are'. I can only talk to others when they aren't conscious. It's just the way things have been. '_

"Why are you talking to me? I don't even know you," Yugi told the other male finally looking away from his older looking doppelganger, and focusing on a palm tree swaying in the light breeze.

_'You're a Mutou aren't you? That's why. Yo're one of my children, a piece of my family.'_

Yugi snapped his head forward, looking at the male in front of him. He gazed at the other with wide and displaying his astonishment. A boy that look like him and was a part of his family, but yet he never had seen him before? He must be – "Heba."

The boy in front of Yugi smirked, the first real expression he showed other than his stoic emotionless one. _'Wow that was quick. Even Solomon hadn't guessed my name correctly that quickly. I guess I'm getting popular in the .'_

Yugi felt his heart skip a beat. This person in front of him was a killer. The person that had inflicted so much pain on Atem, and stole away the Yami that had been happy. Yugi narrowed his eyes at Heba, or at least, the person who claimed to be him. Yugi said nothing to the male, refusing to speak to the person that was part of the reason why he was going through hell in life.

_'Judging by that look, you know what I did. I guess more than just two people hate me for what I did. Not that I care, you can be judgement if you like. Doesn't bother me one bit. I'll just wait for the next one to come to explain myself. I just hope you don't do anything stupid, like get involve with the two idiot rulers.'_

"What if I do?" Yugi asked, daring the other to tell him what would happen.

_'Then just don't disturb the seal. No one can remove it, no one but myself-' _

"I removed it," Yugi stated firmly, causing the male in front of him to go silent and stiff, "I unsealed Atem, cared for his wound, fed him blood and now I'm even his feeder, along with Yami's." Yugi glare was firm, locked on the male that was in shock. "My question for you is why you sealed him. Why would do something to Atem like that? When you loved him and Yami?"

_'…get out.'_

Yugi seen the other's lips move, but heard no words and leaned forward to try and hear Heba better. "What did you say?"

_'Get out! Get out! Get out! Get out! Get out! Get out! Get out! Get out !Get out! Get out! Get out! Get out! Get out! Get out! GET. OUT.'_

Yugi's eyes widened in fear when the ground shook and Heba stood up. Heba's eyes were no longer the violet hues they shared, but a black void of anger surrounded by crimson…eyes of a rogue vampire.

_'Leave this place! You heathen! YOU RUINED IT! THE BLOOD WILL BE ON YOUR HANDS NOW! NOT MINE. NEVER MINE!'_

"What are you talking about –" Before Yugi could finish his question, a violent sand storm overtook the oasis without warning. The human screamed, but his voice was silent. Sand engulfed him, filling his air ways. Yugi gasped for air, but his lungs on filled with air. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't see… He was dying. Oh God, he was dying!

_'Their blood is on your hands, Yugi Mutou.'_

"AH!"

"Damn kid!" Bakura snapped and retracted his hand from Yugi's body as the human quickly bolted up from the bed with his hand around his throat. Scarlet eyes looked at Yugi annoyed, as if Yugi had done something, other than wake up from a horrifying nightmare.

The human gasped to catch his breath, his hand's slowly lowering away from his neck, until they brushed against the smooth surface of the concealing stone that had been passed down in his family. Yugi tried to ease his mind and relax his body by telling himself it was just a dream. _'But if felt real, it just too vivid to be a dream.'_

"Hey brat, beat it," Bakura's gruff voice interrupted Yugi's inter turmoil, causing Yugi's bright violet eyes to look at the white hair vampire that belonged to Ryou. "You're not welcomed in my bed, go get in your own."

Oh. Oh! Yugi scrambled out of Ryou's bed with a bright blush on his face, he hadn't meant to fall asleep in his friend's room, it just…happened. "Sorry Bakura, I hope you have a good night rest…Night," Yugi spoke to the other as he grabbed his bag of clothing and left the room in a rush, barely hearing the vampire grumble as he said, "Whatever."

Yugi groggily stumbled through the halls of the Muran Estate, trying to find his way to his room without guidance. That was easier said than done. He knew his room was on the top level, the same level of Yami's room, but Yugi was having trouble finding the stairs from Ryou's room. He passed by a few servants, some giggling at him as they walked by and others silent as the night. Finally, Yugi found a flight of stairs and forced himself to climb up them. He was about midway up, when he spotted the last person he wanted to see, Yami.

Instead of showing his dismay, Yugi hid it and offer Yami a lazy, but goofy smile. "Hey."

He received no verbal replied, other than a soft sigh. Before Yugi could even take his next step, Yami was in front of the human picking him up, throwing Yugi over his shoulder like he was a sack of potatoes. Yugi struggled against the pure blood's hold, hoping that he could get free. "I can walk you know, " Yugi pointed out as he pushed against Yami's shoulder.

To his surprise, Yugi heard Yami chuckled lightly before he answered, "I know, but I want you to come with me for a moment before you go to bed."

Baffled, Yugi stopped his struggling and turned his head to look over his right shoulder. "You want to spend time with me?"

"Yes. Is that a problem?"

"N-No! I'm just surprised, that's all," Yugi replied as he felt Yami walk up the stairs at a fast human pace.

Yami hummed in acknowledgement, something that was new. Briefly, Yugi wondered if the man was okay. This was a first time Yami had been this nice to Yugi. It was strangely good, but Yugi was concerned that the vampire ruler was beginning to lose himself. He knew Yami was under a lot of stress, but maybe he had finally lost it.

When they arrived at Yami's room, Yugi wasn't sat down until Yami had closed and locked his door. Then, and only then, did the vampire placed him down on the ground. "Are you aware of what tomorrow is?" Yami asked coolly, leaning against his door, as if he was afraid Yugi would try to leave his room.

"I know what it is. It's the Gathering, the night where vampires and hunter meet to reinstate the hiatus on the war. A night of peace to welcome the New Year," Yugi answered, roaming around the spacious room and taking in Yami's room.

Yami's room was not what Yugi had expected it be. He was thinking it would be very old fashion, but instead, it was modern and the color scheme suited the vampire very well. The walls were a dark grey, almost black with a elegant white trim along both the bottom and tops of the wall. The floor was a stunning white carpet that was so soft, it was like walking on a cloud. All of the furniture in the room was white. From the super king sized bed, to the bedside tables; every piece of furniture was a pristine white. There was a large section in the farthest corner from the door to Yami's room. It was decorated with black and red accented pillows. Just a few feet in front of the sectional was a white wooden glass table, holding an accented piece that was filled with different flowers that matched Yami's room colors. On the far left wall, was an old white desk with a laptop laid on it and a plush black office chair. There was also three doors, each spaced out differently from each other. Yugi would have investigated the door had Yami not been in the room with him. It was rude to snoop in front of others.

"Correct, it is also when I will publicly announce our partnership as Feeder and Vampire. Tomorrow, will be the end of your normal life. For as long as you are my feeder, your life will always be in danger," Yami made clear for the human wandering around his room curiously.

Yugi wasn't bother by Yami's words, he was already aware what his new title would come with, at least the dangers. He choose not to speak, letting himself become preoccupied with exploring the vampire's room. There were picture that went along with the room's grey, white, and red theme, but they didn't interest Yugi. The human ran his hand over Yami dark red comforter, it almost softer than the carpet. Yugi bet the dozen of pillows that matched the room were just as soft too. Finally the human answered the Prince, knowing his delayed response had most likely annoyed the vampire.

"I'm aware of that, but it's the same for all feeders. I just…have more to deal with. More people out for you that I need to be aware of," Yugi's violet eyes flickered to Yami and held the vampire's blood-crimes gaze. "I have my doubts about you, but I know you'll use all of your power to protect my well being. Or at the very least, try to protect my life when I'm about to die," Yugi looked away to look at the set of double French doors, the only source of light in the room other than the lamps that gave off a fluorescent glow from the bedside tables.

"We may not get along at times, but I will promise you this, your life will never be endanger while I am your provider," Yami responded as he watched Yugi travel towards the French doors in his room. "I will not promise a life filled with ease, but just know no matter what happens, you will not die. You may get roughed up, or your mental state could threaten to break, but you will not die."

Yugi felt some comfort in those words, however, he didn't believe them as much as wanted him too. "Do you mean that? Even if I cause you the greatest pain of all, or make your relive things you have tried to forget, will you keep that promise?"

There was some hesitation, but Yami gave a sighed and in the window's reflection, Yugi saw Yami nod his head. "Yes, I promise I will not kill you by my own hands," His voice was deep and firm, promising a greater pain if Yugi dared to betray him during their partnership.

It was those words the human found comfort in and with a smile he turned to face Yami with tired and regretful eyes. "Then I promise to do my best to keep you strong and healthy, so you may be at your peak performance every day."

Yami gave a nod before stepping aside and unlocking the door. "Your room is to the right ad three doors down. Go rest, I'll tell you more about the gathering in the morning."

Yugi gave Yami a nod, but said nothing more. His hand was tight on the bag he held, as he walked past the vampire ruler without sparing him a glance. "Good night Yami."

"Good night Yugi," The pure blood replied, before closing his door as Yugi walked out into the hall.

Once he was alone, Yugi felt his bravo wavering, his fear of tomorrow growing more predominant. Despite Yami's claim to not kill him, Yugi knew that there were fates much worse than death. Such as the cursed seal Atem had been placed under and the few blood slaves he had met on mission he carried out for the I.V.H.A. Using his free arm to hug himself, Yugi thought back on his nightmare with Heba and chuckled lowly as he stood outside the door to his room.

"He was right, I do have blood on my hands. My own blood."

He could already tell, tomorrow was going to be the longest and most difficult day of his life. Yugi just knew it.

* * *

**Author's note :: **Welcome back this lovely story.  
It went through hell just to be updated.  
I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, next one it quite the beast.  
I also apologize for the massive delay. I will also re-read this later for mistakes.

**_Next chapter :: _**Night Twelve; The Beginning of Change. part one.

Sopdet* - The ancient Egyptian name for Sirius, the bright star in the Milky Way. Was used to plan the Egyptian calendars and could predict the flooding of the Nile.

_**Edited on: Nov. 10, 2016.**_

_Please, enjoy reading, review, favorite, and follow. C:_


	12. Night XII: Beginning Of Change(Part One)

_**AN :** Woo hoo, so we finally get to the long awaited Gathering. Before reading this chapter, which is hella long, along with it's sibling, chapter thirteen, please go re-read the previous eleven chapters. During the hiatus of Traitor, I did some major cleaning of the previous chapters with my lovely beta, over the summer. There were some minor changes in the earlier chapters, please refer to the end of this chapter for the reasons why._

_Thank you guys for your dedicated support, and I hope this chapter and the next makes up for the long wait. Without your support, I wouldn't be able to post this story and make it come alive. ~_

_Without further ado, here is the long awaited chapter twelve._

* * *

**Night Twelve: **  
**Beginning of Change: _Part One_**

* * *

"Just look at you! You're a wreck. Damn, it's going to take forever to cover up those dark circles under your eyes. Did you even try to get any sleep?"

Yugi fidgeted in the salon swivel chair he sat in as he was stared down by not just one, but by an army of eight professionals with the specific task of getting him ready for the Gathering. He felt guilty for causing so much trouble for the men and women in charge of helping him prepare for the oh-so important Gathering, but last night had been a sleepless night for the young human. "Sorry, but it's kind of hard for me to sleep before major events, I would have been fine if we didn't have to board the plane so early." Yugi apologized with a soft groan as he relaxed and settled in his chair.

None of this had been the human's fault. He was unable to find sleep when he retired to his bed after his and Yami's conversation last night, fears of having Heba appear in his dreams had plagued his mind. Then, at the ungodly hour of 4:17 am, he was yanked away from the comfort of his warm bed and forced to dress simple and freshen up for the day. The moment he was finished getting ready, Yami's personal henchmen had practically forced him into a car, and then into a plane after arriving at Domino City International Airport. Since then, Yugi had been trapped on the aircraft that was obviously specially modified for occasions like this. Why else would an airplane be equipped with a small beauty salon?

"That's no excuse, Lord Mutou. Everyone needs their beauty sleep, hell, you could have at least put lotion on your skin! It's so dry!" The same reprimanding female makeup artist, with unique bleach blonde and lime green pixie-cut hair, ranted and looked back at her co-stylists, sighing heavily. "Team, we have our work cut out for us. We best get to work or else we'll never finished this brat in time."

"I am not a brat! " Yugi interjected, but was ignored as the men and women moved about the salon to gather supplies to begin 'improving' the human's appearance for the Gathering.

A black styling cloak was placed over Yugi's current outfit of a simple white t-shirt and black athletic shorts. The moment his clothing was covered by the black garment, his chair was spun around and leaned back as the hair stylist began to wash the teen's unruly tri-colored hair. While sweet smelling shampoo was diligently worked into his hair, Yugi closed his eyes as the makeup artist began apply a moisturizing mask on his face. Both of his hands were taken by a professional , who began working on filling his nails and riding the young teen's hands of any hang nails. The entire process was overwhelming to the human. He felt so… girly by having so many people try to make his appearance as regal as Yami's, or at least close to it. Why did some people feel relax during treatments such as this? He felt crowded and babied, Yugi absolutely hated it.

Wanting to distract himself from the obnoxious preparation of his body, Yugi focused on going over all of the major rules of subjugation for feeders. He needed to make sure he knew them like the back of his hands without any flaws. While he was confident he knew them mentally, saying them verbally in front of a crowd of more than a hundred was completely different. Any free moment he had from now until the Gathering should be spent preparing for the moment he would present the rules. He would not lose to his own nerves.

'The first rule a feeder must follow and uphold, is by obeying the word of their vampire. Following the commands and listening to the vampire can protect the feeder from unneeded conflict and potential rage.' Yugi closed his eyes as shampoo was rinsed from his hair and conditioner was massaged into his scalp. 'Secondly, the feeder is to never disobey, question, or ignore their vampire.' The human felt his hands being wiped clean of any dirt that caked them. 'With this, talking back to them after a decision is made is also prohibited.' The young human squirmed as something cool was laid over his eyes. Half of theses rules had already been broken by him, but Yugi didn't care. He just needed to recite them, not follow them.

"Will you keep still, Sir Mutou? I'm trying to make sure I've cleansed your hair completely, " the hair stylist spoke up with a sigh.

"Sorry," Yugi grumbled out softly and tried to keep still for the stylist. He really hated this unnecessary pampering. He would never understand why women liked such treatments.  
Trying to relax, the young male closed his eyes and tried to focus on remembering the rules he would recite later that night. Unfortunately for Yugi, the constant tug on his hair, hands dancing along his face and neck, and the feel of another set of hands rubbing a cool sweet smelling oil on any exposed skin on his body; kept him from focusing on the task and caused him to fidget even more.

'I can't focus like this!' The child screamed mentally and groaned aloud. He heard a few giggles from the beauticians as his head was lifted and a towel was wrapped around his head. Yugi rolled his eyes under his closed eyelids. It was good to know his misery was their entertainment.

"Just a little bit longer and the worse will be over, Sir Mutou." The hair stylist spoke up, his voice laced thick with some annoyance.

"I hope you're right," The teen answered with a sigh as the facial mask he wore was scrubbed off and the slimy coverings over his eyes were removed. Opening his eyes once they were gone, Yugi frowned at the sight of two slices of cucumber being tossed in the trash. What was the point of having vegetable slices on his eyes?

Yugi squirmed in his chair again as his hair started to be brushed and concealer was being placed on his skin. "Is this makeup really necessary?"

"Yes! You have to look your very best for your debut. We need to hide your dark circles, it'll make you look unhealthy and stir up drama that will only bring harm to your reputation!" The makeup artist with bleach blonde hair and lime green highlights told Yugi sternly, flicking one of her application brushes at the human. "If you look unhealthy while being the Prince's feeder, then people will question if you're 'good enough', and if they don't find you to be good for the prince, they'll kill you off."

Yugi shivered at the thought and turned his head the other way. He debated his options and the make artist could see it in his eyes. "You have no other option but to wear it!"

"But it's girly! I already lack in the maturity department, makeup will just make it worse!"

"Oh, shut it. When we're done with you You'll look almost as manly as the Prince. Maybe even more," The female counter.

"Yeah right! That guy has had centuries to mature, no way makeup can do that for me!" Yugi argued.

"But you fail to notice that with age, comes the need for more Prince has to wear twice as much makeup than you to hide the crow's feet staring to appear near his eyes-"

"Excuse me?" The mid-baritone voice of Yami caused all chatter in the beauty salon to cease. The royal stood in the middle of the doorway of the small room with narrowed eyes gazing straight at Yugi and the many professionals trying to get the human ready for the Gathering. "What were you saying about me having wrinkles near my eyes?"

"My sire! Forgive me for such a rude comment, I was simply trying to calm down your human enough so he would stop fussing about having to wear makeup for the Gathering." The makeup artist smoothly apologized. She gestured for the girls working on Yugi's hands, to take care of the prince. The female left their job to guide Yami to the black swivel chair next to Yugi's.

Yugi's eyes watched Yami with a clear dislike that he didn't try to hide as the vampire casually sat in the chair and closed his eyes. As Yami's own preparations began, Yugi couldn't help but find it odd as the prince simply took his torture without a single complaint. Grumbling under his breath, Yugi squinted his eyes as the makeup artist's brush danced across his face and blended in foundation into his skin.

"Just close your eyes and relax. It'll be much easier for you and the ones working on your body." Yugi turned his head to look at Yami when the older male spoke up, earning complaints from the professionals trying to get him ready for the Gathering.

"How can I do that? It's too much movement and jerking, " Yugi complained and squirmed in his seat. "It's hard to just sit still."

"Then sleep," Yami returned, not once looking at Yugi as makeup was applied to his face lightly.

The human huffed and face forward again, closing his eyes as he did so. He didn't return Yami's comment and tried to take Yami's advice, though he hated to admit it was good, to either relax or sleep. Letting his body ease, Yugi found the experience much more bearable once he was relaxed. The brush combing through his hair was soothing, the makeup being applied to his features were soft and reassuring, nothing like the fluttering and pulling movements before.

The room fell silent as the artist worked to finish their given the temporary peace, Yugi let his mind drift off to think about the Gathering. He hope the night would pass by fast. If the event was anything like Yami's birthday, Yugi wasn't sure he would be able to survive the night, even with his friends being present to help ease the suffering. It also had him worried about seeing familiar faces within the I.V.H.A. What if Mai or Rebecca were there and saw that he was siding with their enemy? What would they think? Or what will those who know about his family lineage think? The human could feel his body tensing back up from his thoughts, however, a tap on his shoulder was his saving grace.

Opening his eyes, Yugi was greeted by the sight of himself in a handheld mirror being held in front of his face.

"Do you approve of your looks now?" The bubbly blonde makeup artist asked the human with a proud smile.

Yugi was silent as he took in his face. The makeup did make him appear older, highlighting his high cheek bones and bold khol out lined his eyes, making them sharper and his purple irises pop out more. He liked how he looked, he truly did, but his appearance struck a paranoid nerve in his body. He looked too much like him. Like Heba.

"Y-Yeah, I do, "Yugi replied to the female makeup artist, smiling so she would be offended. The seventeen year old just hoped Yami didn't think he looked like his deceased feeder...or others. Then Yugi might really be making a horrible mistake in his life.

"Oh good! What do you think of him, my lord?" The Makeup artist forcibly turned Yugi's head to the left, towards Yami so the other could see him without disturbing the female trimming his hair.

Yami's eyes opened slowly, and the female trimming his bangs paused as the vampire turned his head to look at his feeder. For a moment, crimson eyes betrayed their master and showed his shock, before quickly hiding the emotion with a neutral look. "It'll do, just make sure his makeup is removed after the Gathering. It'll most likely irritate his skin." Yami's voice held no emotion and was steady, but his brief slip in composer was Yugi needed to know that the other seen the identical looks between his current feeder and is previous one. It made the human's heart sink with dread.

The girls working on Yami were finished soon after Yugi's appearance had gained an approval from the royal. The pureblood vampire left the moment he was free, not even bothering with giving Yugi any parting words.

When Yami was out of hearing range, or at least when Yugi thought he was out of hearing range, the human let out a heavy sigh. "Why does he always have to have such a hardened attitude? Can't he just be a decent being for once in his life?"

"The Prince has a hard life Lord Mutou. Try to understand him better, okay?" The male hairstylist spoke gently as he continued to brush Yugi's spiky hair, attempting to tame its wild nature.

"Yami is ...is a lot softer when you get to see past his outer defensive. In all honesty," The blonde make up artist sat down in the unoccupied salon chair as she gazed at Yugi with sad eyes. "I pity the Prince. I've been alive for a long time and I know of his hardships. He's lost two lovers in the worst ways imaginable. One murdered by his feeder, and the other killed by his own kind that had become corrupted. Any living being with a heart would try to keep others at a distance. Who would want to bare another potential loss?"

Yugi looked down at the black tarp that covered his body while he felt his chest become heavy for pity. As he looked at it logically, the vampire had every right to act the way he did, still, Yugi wanted at least a familiar friendship with the man if he was going to be stuck with the other until death. "I know, but… I can't help but wish he would ease up and at least try to form a connection with me. It would….it would make having to adjust to all of this," Yugi gestured to his surroundings, " much easier."

"Just give him time and practice the virtue of patience. You could see some results then," The hairstylist spoke again, Humming softly as his dark eyes narrowed in concentration. "Let's focus on finishing getting you ready for the Gathering. I still need to decide what to do with the mess you call hair. "

Yugi laughed lightly at the frustrated tone in the stylist's voice as he dealt with the youth's hairstyle. He didn't blame the male though, even he got frustrated with his hair. The most he could do with it other than letting it be, was to put it in an awkward ponytail.

After what felt like another hour of preparation in the salon, Yugi was finally released to go change. His hair had finally been just left alone in its natural style, but with hair gel added to keep it somewhat tame throughout the evening. He was ushered out of the salon and into a simple bathroom to change and freshen up as he desired. The human couldn't help but be more relaxed and happier now that he was free from torture. He just the rest of his day and night would be less of a nuisance than his makeover had been.

Finding a jet black garment bag hanging on the back of the bathroom door, Yugi wasted no time in receiving his clothes from the protective covering. With his suit freed from the bag, Yugi hung the outfit up in front of the bag to inspect it. The clothing wasn't too bad actually. It was just a simple grey suit jacket and pants, with a white undershirt and button up long sleeved collared shirt. The vast was obviously made of a silk texture and was deep magenta color, almost the same color as red, but with more purple in the mix. There was also freshly polished grey dress shoes, long white socks, a black belt, and a tie that was striped with grey and the color of his vest.

Yugi got dress in a rush. Once his new outfit was on his body, he admired himself in the mirror. His tie wasn't tied perfectly, but it would do. Other than that, The human was surprised how good he look in the suit. Instead of Heba, Yugi thought he looked like a very young version of his grandfather with brighter eyes. Maybe, now with clothes that flattered his more mature features, Yami would be able to look past his likeness with the deceased feeder.

The human turned to his discarded clothes on the floor and placed them in the garment bag his suit had been dormant in. Before he threw his athletic shorts into the bag, Yugi stuff his hand into the right pocket of the pair shorts and pulled out his concealing stone. Yugi held the stone in the air by its thin chain for a moment as his eyes stared at the dull red crystal made from Atem's blood. He should keep it on his body just in case of an emergency. Slipping the stone around his neck, Yugi let his shorts join the rest of his dirtied clothes before tucking the stone underneath his white undershirt. If Yami questioned him about his lack of scent, Yugi would simply tell him the truth; his grandfather gave him the concealing stone for protection.

Yugi exited the bathroom feeling confident, but the feeling quickly died when he accidentally bumped into something solid.

"Ah, sorry-" His words died in his throat as his violet eyes gazed up into intimidating dark brown. The human took a step back from the man dressed in all black. He was tall, even taller than Mahaad, and it made Yugi feel like a small child standing before the other.

Before Yugi could open his mouth, the man with black hair slicked back, knelt down on one knee and began to fix Yugi's tie, tying the piece of long silk in perfect trinity knot. Once he was finished with that, the man dressed in all black, unbutton Yugi's jacket, only to refasten it correctly. The mysterious male also added a silk handkerchief to Yugi's left breast pocket that matched the color of his vest, golden cuff-links to the cuffs of his jacket, and hooked a golden pocket watch to the front right belt loop of Yugi's pants and stuffed it in the human's right pocket. Finally, to top off Yugi's outfit, the man in black pulled out a velvet red box from his back pocket and revealed a pin with the crest of the royal family on it. The elegant hieroglyphics had been elegantly crafted in white gold, with aged gold in the background of the pin. Yugi drew in a sharp breath when it was attached to the top left lapel of his jacket.

"You are decent now," The man's voice was like a whisper. Yugi barely registered the other had spoken, until the man was standing again and leading him away to a different section of the plane.

They approached a door, which was quickly opened by the man in black, holding it open for Yugi to entered. With a slight blush, Yugi entered the room and muttered a thank you to the man. As he walked in, the human was caught off guard when the male that held door open suddenly began to speak. "Now entering, his highness, royal feeder to Prince Yami Sennen, our young lord, Yugi Mutou."

Immediately the occupants in the room sank to one knee, their heads bowed, a hand over their hearts. Catching the sight, Yugi became flustered, a dark red blush covered his enter face as he noticed the ones bowing to him were Yami's Sacred Guardians, the only one not bowing was the prince himself. Yami's face displayed a highly amused smirk, even showing of his fangs slightly. Seeing that arrogant smirk on the vampire's face, infuriated Yugi greatly.

"That wasn't a very good joke," Yugi called Yami out, storming towards the other while ignoring the muffled laughter of the Guardians. "You'll have to try harder if you're aiming to be a comedian."

"You must be mistaken, this isn't a joke Yugi," Yami coolly defended himself, Taking a step back when Yugi got too close to him for comfort.

"Lord Mutou, the way Sir Bastion introduced you is your formal introduction. It will be used at anytime you are entering an important meeting or event," Lady Isis spoke warmly with her obvious mirth being displayed in her light blue eyes. "It is apart of the tradition in our culture."

Yugi blinked and found his face warming up again with his embarrassment from his lack of knowledge on the formalities that came with his new position and title. Deep, but soft chuckles drifted into Yugi's ears, and the human snapped his attention back to the vampire that had claimed him. Leaning against a wall closer to the back of the dark conference style room, was Yami trying to quieten his laughter with the hand not supporting his body. His crimson eyes were like a burning fire. Those red eyes, those beautiful pools of fire, reminded Yugi of Atem.

"S-Shut up!" Yugi hissed, turning his head away from Yami and felt his embarrassment growing even more intense.

Although he had turned away from Yami, Yugi let his eyes glimpse towards the other male and gaze at his attire. Yami's body was fitted with a sterling white suit without a single blemish. His own vest was the exact same color as Yugi's, while his tie was the dark magenta of his vest with white stripes. He lacked a handkerchief in his breast pocket, but a beautiful red rose had replaced it. Other than the absence of the handkerchief, everything Yami wore was just like Yugi, except where the human wore grey, Yami bore white.

The human cracked a smile as he caught Yami wiping his eye, this was the first time Yugi had seen the other this...relaxed. His reaction hadn't been that funny, at least to Yugi it hadn't been, but maybe Yami was just one of those people who was easy to make them laugh. Yugi's eyes sparkled with his hypothesis, he would have to test it out later when they didn't have to be so formal.

"If an introduction to us had the human flustered, imagine what will happen tonight when he is introduced, "Karim spoke with a chuckle. "He may cause the prince to soil himself."

Both Yugi and Yami froze in their place for different reasons after Karim's statement.

"I would not soil myself, I have a much more self control than you credited me, Karim," Yami quickly defended himself, crossing his arms over his chest and narrowing his eyes playfully at the older vampire.

While Yami handled the statement with ease, Yugi on the other hand, did not. The human had briefly forgotten about what his presence at the Gathering would mean. Dropping his head, Yugi let his bangs hide his face as he gazed at his polished shoes. He was going to be introduced not only to the vampires as Yami's personal feeder, but also to the International Vampire Hunter Association. They would know. They would know that another Mutou had chosen to side with the vampires. Like his grandfather secretly had… like his...like his parents had openly done.

Yugi bit his lower lip and balled up his hands. He felt guilt twist in his stomach as he thought about what Mai and Rebecca would think of him after they heard his new title and seeing him stand next to Yami? What if someone leaked out information regarding to his training with the IVHA? A firm pat to his back, caused Yugi's head to jerk up. Violet hues met crimson irises unexpectedly.

"Stop,"Yami spoke firmly.

"Huh?"

"Stop worrying about tonight," Yami replied, his tone softer though his face was an unreadable mask of a ruler. "Focus on yourself and not others, that is all you need to do. You have the Sacred Guardians and myself to help should something not go to plan."

Yugi blinked a few times at the vampire before him. For once, it felt like Yami cared for him rather than just putting up 'the human'. It was oddly...nice of the vampire.

Offering a true smile, Yugi gave a slight nod of his head, "Thanks Yami."

"You need to relax, most of those who are attending the Gathering knows that you didn't sign up for this position." Yami stepped away from Yugi, straightening his own jacket. "Don't worry about what others think your say, it's of no concern to you. You have yet to have done anything that has warranted any foul play, nor have you even abused your position."

"Abused my position? What do you mean by that, Yami?" Yugi tilted his head innocently in confusion, his violet eyes locked on Yami.

The vampire visibly tensed with his shoulders going rigid. "I-I'll tell you later. It's not important at the moment. " The vampire brushed off the question while refusing to meet Yugi's eyes.

"My sire, you have not told him yet?" Mahaad spoke up surprised with his grey eyes focused on Yami's tense form.

"Tell me what?" Yugi straightened up and peered past Yami to Mahad standing on his other side. Yugi could see Yami flex his hands while his bangs created a shadow over his eyes.

"Of all the things,-I cannot believe you've failed to inform Lord Mutou on what his position of being your feeder means!" Lady Isis scolded Yami, her icy blue eyes glaring at the ruler, which Yami turned his head away to avoid her look like a sulking child.

"I've been busy, you're aware of that, Isis," Yami stated with no wavering in his voice.

Sighing Isis closed her eyes before opening them and looking at Yugi. " Yugi, as the Prince's feeder, you are granted the status that is equal to that of a pureblood lord, thus, are of nobility in the Vampire Kingdom. Along with it, you are granted the ability to command servants, have access to all rooms within the Muran estate, you may sit in on the meeting with the pureblood family, you are provided the best services and cares the kingdom can offer, you may fly to any destination of your choice without cost, automatic-pardon from crimes not deemed as capital offenses within the Vampire Kingdom, and any luxuries you may desire. Also, for your service by providing a vampire your blood, you are given a set amount of pay by your employer at the end of each month, and given full health and life insurance for you and your family free of charge, just like any other feeder in the world."

Yugi's eyes widened in amazement, shocked by the newly discovered information Yami nor the I.V.H.A. had mentioned to him. "That's...That's just incredible!" The human bundled his hands to into loose fists as he moved to press against Yami in attempt to gain the other's full attention. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I just didn't-"

"Were you scared of me only wanting to be your feeder out of greed?" Yugi jested.

Yami's cheeks turned a soft pink as he looked away. "Shut up, that wasn't why. "

Smiling Yug, folded his arms behind his back as he peered up at the pureblood vampire. "Uh huh, I'm sure that's the reason why, Mr. Sensitive."

The human couldn't help but feel like the rest of the trip to the Gathering was going be filled with the fun of teasing the prince.

* * *

The sky was bathed in the fading warm tones of twilight when the private plane Yugi and Yami traveled on, reached its destination and landed at a remote airport. They exited the aircraft not even a minute after it had safely came to a complete stop, with Yami in the lead. The vampire exited in a rush, onlookers oblivious to the meaning of his urgency to leave the solid black aircraft. Lagging behind him was the Sacred Guardians and the royal vampire's feeder who, was try hard to keep a professional front and not let their laughter ruin their image.

The hour before the plane carrying the Prince and Yugi arrived back on solid ground, was spent with Mahaad and Yugi taking turns giving the pureblood vampire a hard time with their playful taunts and assumptions. In that one short hour, Yugi had seen a side of Yami that he had only witnessed a few times a school with the older male. He had seen Yami blush, become flustered, defensive, and the vampire had even been in a playful mood himself. After seeing the vampire being the most relaxed Yugi had ever witnessed while in his presence, the human began noticing some of the things that must have made Atem fall in love with Yami. Like Yami's laugh, for an example. The Prince had such a pleasant laugh, not to light or dark, with just the right rhythm of 'ha' syllables.

Yugi's violet eyes were soft, but bright as he watch Yami all but run to a group of men dressed in completely white suits. Picking up his pace, Yugi separated himself from the Sacred Guardians to catch up to the vampire. The moment he saw another plane softly glide to a stop on the runway, Yugi perked up even more as he spotted the Kaiba Corp. logo printed on the rear fin of the elegant grey plane. Immediately forgetting Yami for a moment, Yugi turned the direction of his path and started heading to the new plane. He wanted greet his friends and chat with them for a moment before they started traveling again.

Before Yugi could even make it to halfway mark to the other plane, two firm hands grabbed his shoulders and redirected his path of travel towards a black stretched Hummer limousine. Yugi tilted his head back to see it was Yami redirecting him towards the over zealous car. Scowling, the human planted his feet and refused to move, causing the Vampire to look down at him in annoyance.

"You can talk to your friends soon, we need to go ahead and leave. I'd rather not mingle with the nobles, they'll put us behind schedule," Yami answered Yugi's unvoiced defiant comment.

"As long as I get to talk to them before the Gathering starts," Yugi bargained with the vampire, not moving an inch.

"You shall. Marik and Bakura will be joining us shortly, the same with Katsuya and the Kaiba brothers. Now can we please go?" Yami's crimson eyes gazing into Yugi's violet hues, reflected Yami's hidden annoyance and demanded that his request not to be denied.

Silently letting his head lower back to its normal position, Yugi started walking towards the limousine with little resistance. "You better be right, or you will not like me later," The human muttered his reply as he obediently walked to the over-sized black car.

A large man in white with pointed hair, wearing a wired earpiece and black shade, opened the car door as Yami and Yugi approached the vehicle. "Don't worry," Yami spoke up as the human used the lower foot rail to climb into the stretched Hummer, "I already don't like you."

Yugi's breath caught in his throat, but he didn't let Yami's cruel words to show on his outside. He kept silent as he enter the expensive vehicle and tried to keep his emotions from raging out of control. Just when he thought that he and this vampire could settle their difference and forge some kind of friendship, Yami had reverted back to being an asshole. The human wasn't sure if he could handle being around someone so bull-headed and cold like Yami for the remainder of his life.

The human pushed the negativity out of his mind and let his mind become engrossed in the stunning interior of the limousine. It was stunning, with dark hard wood floors, white leather seating, a round seating section in the back, a long row of seats on the right hand side of the car, a love seat on the left with a mini bar stock with like crystal wine glasses and the best of vampire alcohol, and a single seat on the other side of the mini bar towards the front cabin of the limousine.

Quick on his feet, Yugi quickly took the single seat towards the front of the car. Yami had spoiled his mood for talking and the human wanted to be seated by himself during their car ride. He pulled his phone out from him his pocket and turned the device on, now that he was no longer on an airplane. As Yugi waited for the device to hum to life, he looked up and watch as Yami took a seat in the middle of the round sectional of seats in the back while the four Sacred Guardians took their seats. Shada and Mahaad took the two seats on the love-seat, while Isis and Karim sat close to Yami on the long sectional on the right side of the car.

Once they were settled, The door was shut and the car immediately began to move. Yugi let his head rest against the window, Yugi's violet eyes focused on watching the outside world while the inner court of the Vampire Kingdom began to speak to one another.

"My sire, how are we going to explain the absence of Aknadin?" Shada questioned.

"We tell the public the truth, he betrayed the kingdom by trying to kill the leader of the Vampire kingdom and has fled," Yami replied casually, leaning back in his seat.

"Very well, but he nobles know the true truth of the matter," Isis responded calmly.

"The nobles will view it as me implying that it was the late Pharaoh's life that had been in danger not my own."

"You're not thinking of trying to compel the nobles are you? Your power may not be strong enough to do so!" Mahaad spoke up with urgency, causing Yugi who to glance at the man dressed in his traditional white robes of his ancient homeland.

"I am more than capable of doing so, Mahaad," Yami immediately countered. "We five are the eldest living beings with sanity in the world. My blood is much stronger than the nobles, the eldest one is barely in his mid-hundreds. Compelling them will be easy, the difficult task is isolating each of the eleven nobles."

Yugi fidgeted in his seat and returned his gaze to watching the blurry landscape outside of his widow as the car speed to their destination. _'Yami still doesn't know,'_ Yugi thought to himself. '_So that means Atem is still considered a high class rogue vampire.'_

"And your retirement? Are you still planning on announcing it?" Karim asked, causing the car to fall silent.

Yugi let his eyes once again wonder towards the group of vampires again, completely baffled by the question. '_Yami has planned to retire? Since when?_'

"I do not believe that is an option any longer, " The royal replied with a soft sigh. "With At-The late pharaoh loose in the world and Aknadin no longer a possible candidate for succession, I must hold on to my claim to the throne until my life has finally been put to an end."

Yugi relaxed and turned his gaze away from the group. For some reason, hearing that Yami had plan on retiring made Yugi uneasy. The human didn't know why, but he didn't like the idea. Yami had been the one to establish peace between the humans and vampires. What if the one who replaced him caused another war between the races?

The rest of the conversation between the vampires was deaf to Yugi's ears. The human was too involved with his thoughts to focus on the chatter. It was his mission to spy on the group debating before him, but the human couldn't bring himself to listen anymore to their conversation. His mind choosing to warp his earlier thoughts and ponder about when Atem became king again. What will happen? What will the reactions be? Will Yami give the throne up willingly? Or will Atem take it by force?

Yugi closed his eyes, imagining the reign of the pharaoh he had saved from death's grasp. In Yugi's mind he imagined Atem would rule much like Yami, but with more enthusiasm and with more passion. He could see the ancient king on a golden throne with his typical proud smirk with Yami by his side. They would be the perfect team; Atem the one with strategy and power, and Yami the one with experience and knowledge. The rogue vampires would be vanquished and the peace between the races would eternal.

With Vampire Kingdom under Atem's rule, the I.V.H.A. would be extinguished. Yugi and his grandpa would be released from the hunters. He wouldn't have to worry anymore. His friends would be safe from Pegasus, his secret would no longer matter, and the best thing of all, Yugi wouldn't have to risk his life by living a double life. With Atem in control of the vampires, everything would be okay. The great king would bring the world the peace it had been longing for so long.

A light shake of his shoulder caused Yugi to slowly open his eyes and turn to see who was shaking him. Isis stood bent over him looking down at him with a kind smile. "Sorry to disturb your sleep, Lord Mutou, but we've arrived at the harbor. You need to wake up so we can depart for the castle the Gathering is hosted at."

Sleep?! Yugi sat up straight and used both of his hands to rub the sleep out of his eyes. "Sorry, I'm up. I didn't mean to fall asleep," Yugi replied sheepishly, feeling embarrassed for falling asleep so easily.

"It's quite all right, shall we get going now?" Isis smiled, despite her suggestion, she was already heading for the closest exit in the limousine.

"Yeah," Yugi replied, following the guardian's lead and exiting the black stretched Hummer limousine. Outside, Yugi was surprised to see the last rays of the sun was now gone and world had gone dark. The New Year's Eve night was a moonless night, and lights from the harbor kept the stars from appearing in Yugi's line of sight.

The human followed closely to the priestess, only catching glimpses of the massive boats the past as she lead him to the vampire he would pledging his life to soon. When they arrived, Yugi was in awe at the massive yacht Isis had lead him to. The boat already roared with life and waited to be released into her voyage. As he boarded the magnificent vessel, the human suddenly found himself surrounded the moment his foot touch the smooth wooden finish of the boat's main deck.

"There you are, Yugi!" Ryou's thick accent greeted him first as his friends rushed over to him as if the human had called out to them. Immediately, Yugi's grogginess from his short nap cleared and he was beaming at his friends with his signature smile.

"Sorry for being late, I fell asleep in the car," Yugi admitted with a light laugh and rubbed the back of his head. "I kinda got bored."

" 'Nough said, pal," Jou slung his arm around Yugi's shoulder and gazed down at him with excitement and humor in his eyes. "I'd be put to sleep too, if I had to listen to those old geezers talk about politics and stuff for an entire car ride."

"Only because Seto Kaiba wouldn't be there to entertain you during it. Marik tells me that's the only reason why you choose to-"

Malik's teasing ended short when Jonouchi released Yugi to chase the blonde Egyptian with shouts of curses and insults spewing from his mouth. Yugi watch the two blondes round around the ship's deck, laughing as Malik managed to evade Jou's grasp each time the vampire came close in capturing him.

"I must say Yugi, you look very dashing in your outfit. I'm quite surprised that Yami put some thought into what would look good on you," Ryou spoke up as he stood by Yugi while they watched their other two friends run around the boat.

Yugi glanced at Ryou and offered a kind smile to his foreign friend. "Thank you, Ryou, but I have a feeling Yami wasn't the one to have chosen my outfit. His designers must have just copied his in a rush to get it ready...given the short time they had to prepare it," Yugi replied skeptical of the royal vampire's input into his current formal attire.

"Actually Yugi, Yami prefers to oversee the designs of his attire. He actually helps me get Bakura dressed for events like the Gathering," Ryou informed Yugi with an all-knowing smile.

Yugi turned to face his friend with an expression of shock, his eyes wide and his mouth open as he stared at Ryou. "Are you serious?"

The white hair male laughed and gave a firm nod of his head to Yugi. "Completely. He only wears things he thinks that makes him appear regal."

"Y-Yeah," Malik agreed with Ryou as he came running over and using his two friends not chasing him, as human meat shields. "Too bad he...he doesn't put that much thought into the actual Gathering. It's so lame!"

Jonouchi came running up to them not too long afterwards, panting as he flopped over and placed his hands on his knees. "Damn! That's cheating Malik!" Jou complained, glaring at the Egyptian as he hid behind their friends with a smirk.

"All is fair in love and war, Jou," Malik teased as he wrapped his arms around both Ryou and Yugi.

"This ain't war, and I for sure don't love your ass!"

Ryou and Yugi snickered at their two friends bickering with each other. As Malik and Jou continued with their friendly banter, Yugi looked around or their other friend; Honda. He dan't seen him since before they departed the airport back in Domino City. "Hey guys, where is Honda at?"

"Oh yeah, you don't know do ya'?" Jou voiced his realization and stood up and straightened out his white suit jacket and dark golden vest. "Honda got a call from his mom, said it was important and had to bail on tonight."

"Ah, I hope it wasn't anything bad, maybe we can hang out after the Gathering," Yugi said as he wiggled out of Malik's grasp. Just as he freed himself From his friend, Yugi found himself losing his balance as the yacht unexpectedly lurched forward and began to pull away from the docks. The seventeen year old fell backwards onto his butt, while his friends had held onto the railing provided on the boat, fully prepared for the boat's sudden take off.

"You good there, pal?" Jou asked Yugi with suppressed laughter and held out a hand or Yugi to take.

"Yeah I am, a little warning would have been nice," Yugi grumbled out as her took Jou's hand and let his best friend pull him up to his feet.

As Yugi dusted his suit off from any dirt that might have gotten on it, both Bakura and Marik exited from the massive cabin of the boat and was stalking toward Yugi and his group of friends. The sinister men were dressed alike in stunning white suits, but with different vests. Bakura had a light blue vest that matched Ryou's, and Marik wore a deep violet vest that also matched his feeder's Malik's vest. When the duo reached the group, the vampires were quick to still their lovers and feeders away from their friends.

"Let's go Ryou."

"Malik, we're leaving."

Jou and Yugi watched as their two feeder friends were stolen away from them without being able to say a proper goodbye. Bakura had pulled Ryou into the cabin with a hand around the white haired teen's waist, while Malik was pulled by the wrist by Marik as the vampire lead him to a different entrance to the cabin.

"Where are they take Ryou and Malik?" Yugi asked jou, looking up at the blonde with confusion.

"Most likely to lay their scent on their partners. It's a thing that we vamps like to do with our lovers before they go into big crowds and stuff," Jou answered and slung an arm over Yugi's shoulders. "Care to move our party of two to the front of the boat?"

Yugi smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Why not? I wouldn't mind sharing an iconic Titanic moment with one of my best friends."

Jou snorted as he lead Yugi to the front of the yacht and removed his arm from the human's shoulders in favor of putting both his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, but I'm not holdin' your waist or anything if you go and stand on the rail like an idiot."

"And what if I do? Can I trust you to catch me if I fall overboard?" Yugi asked his friend with a teasing smile.

"I'd be the one to push your ass off the boat!" Jou spoke with a bright laugh and walked over to the front railing of the boat. The blonde leaned forward and rested his arms on the railing. "It's gonna be nice getting to spend New Year's with the entire group again, even though we're gonna be at a snooze-fest."

Yugi smiled as he joined his friend leaning against the boat's safety rail, standing next to Jonouchi. "Yeah, it's been awhile hasn't it?"

"Mhmm," Jonouchi gazed out at the darkness ahead of them, frowning. "I can't shake this feelin' I got. It's like somethin' bad is about to happen. I know it's not like me to get all mushy and stuff, but lately life has been goin' to shit for us. I can't shake this feelin' like tonight is goin' to be a bad one."

Yugi looked up at his friend with a concerned look. "So you feel the same way too?" Yugi said with surprise, before gazing out at the large body of water before them. "Maybe it's just my nerves, but I feel like tonight might not be as 'cheery' as we all hope for."

"I don't think it's just your nerves pal," Jou replied to Yugi with a sigh. "Some bad things are happening within our little vampire community." The blonde made his hands into tight fists. "There's this creep that's crazy and on the loose. And before you go a make assumptions, it's not your typical vampire or rogue vampire. This guy is….he's…" Jou looked around them before leaning down to whisper in Yugi's ear.

"He's one of those legendary guys. He's an Original vampire."

The human took in a deep breath and looked at Jonouchi with wide eyes. He could barely believe that Jou knew about Atem. It was even harder for Yugi to accept the fact that Yami had told his best friend of all people, about the potentially dangerous creature Atem is. Yugi was in such great shock, he only mutter a barely verbalized, "What?"

"That's what I said when Yams first told me. I couldn't believe that such a old wives' tale was true," Jou said with a chuckle.

Yugi shook his head fast before looking up at his friend with his still widen eyes. "No, I know the information is true. I'm just curious how you of all people know about it. No offense, Jou."

"None taken', pal," The blonde chuckled lightly, and gave a gentle pat on the back to Yugi. The vampire's hand slid up to rest on his human friend's shoulder and gave it a tight, but gentle squeeze. "See, I've been needing to tell you somethin' for a while now, but I just couldn't find the proper time or way to spit it out. Guess now's a good time to come clean." The vampire took in a deep breath before exhaling it in a loud sigh and let go of Yugi. He folded his arms on the boat's railing and gazed straight ahead, his posture suddenly rigid and stiff.

" 'Bout three months ago, the Prince approached me and asked if I wanted to be a part of an allegiance that was entirely devoted to him. At first I didn't want to and turned him down, but after thinkin' over it, I accepted Yams' offer and became apart of the few men he personal trusts and uses for things he can't be involved 'publicly' with. To make a long story short, I'm now wokin' with Bakura and Marik, but only a few people know about me. That's how I know about this original guy and Yug', I'm worry for you. The more I keep thinkin' about 'him' the more I worry about you and the more keep relating him to your cousin. You've never mentioned having any other relatives other than Gramps…"

Yugi remained silent when Jonouchi's voice trailed off. The human wasn't sure what to say, he couldn't lie to his best friend, but he had too. Clenching his fist, Yugi look straight ahead towards the empty waters in front of him and his friend. He wouldn't lie to his best friend, he couldn't.

"I don't like talking much about my family," Yugi admitted to the vampire and slowly relaxed as his eyes softened to a sad gaze. "It's not a very bright topic, so I tend to keep quiet about it and you don't have to worry Jou. I know you think I could be compelled, but I'm not. Everything that revolves around my cousin has been completely my doing and choice. Besides, I'm not like normal humans. I can't be compelled easily. " Yugi glance to the side at his friend, offering him a goofy smile. "While you were away one your little 'vacation' last year, I took a class offered to the public by the Hunter Association to detect the signs of compulsion from vampires and how to fight it. My mind is a still trap and completely sound. There's no need to worry about me."

"Yug' I'll always worry about you, you're my best pal!" Jou immediately responded to Yugi and almost knocked the younger teen over as he hugged him from the side. "Ain't nothin' in this world that can change that fact!"

Yugi couldn't help but laugh and pat Jonouchi's arm as he was hugged by his best friend. "You know, it's hard to believe that you can't find a girl despite being a very dotting person. " The human gave his friend a teasing glance as he changed the subject to keep from Jou from prying any further about his situation. "Or maybe you aren't looking for one? Hmm?"

Jou let Yugi go with his face turning a pale red as he looked away from Yugi and rubbed the back of his head. "Geez, are you really startin' this shit up again. Can't a guy catch a break around you?"

"Nope!"

Jonouchi groaned and glanced down at the smirking Yugi before he sighed and looked away again."We've been through this. I'm picky about my partners. They've got to have the right stuff, both inside and out. It doesn't do any good if they've got a fine ass but are an ass. Besides, I don't see you sporting anyone on your arm either, Yug'."

The human blushed and rubbed his arm shyly. "Well, it's not out of lack of trying. Everyone I take an interest to is already preoccupied with someone else. So I'm just...you know, waiting for someone to take an interest in me."

"No shame in that, no shame." Jonouchi replied nodding his head. "You never know who you might stumble upon in your life that'll end up being your lover."

"Mhmm," the human hummed, smiling as he faced forward again. With his focus back on the open sea, Yugi was quick to notice the faint glowing in the distance and a dark shape rising out of the water indicating land. "Is that the place?" Yugi asked Jonouchi, pointing a finger at the glowing dark mass that grew slowly before them.

Putting a hand over his eyes and leaning forward, Jou gazed ahead of him before humming in acknowledgement. "That it is, my matey! Land Ho!"

Yugi snorted and elbowed his friend in the ribs gently. "You're such a dork."

"Yeah, but I'm your dork!" Jou teased back with a wide grin before pushing from the railing. "I'm gonna head inside to tell the others, do you wanna come or…?"

The human thought for a moment before shaking his head no. "I think I'll stay out here for a bit. I need to clear my head before I have to start dealing with my responsibilities as a royal feeder."

"Alright pal, I'll see on the docks then!" Jou gave a wave before went to go inside the yacht's cabin.

Once Yugi was sure the vampire was out of hearing range, he sighed and rested his forehead on the cool railing, trying to calm his nerves that started build. He just needed to relax and calm down. The less he worried and stressed over the Gathering, the faster it would pass. Lifting his head and looking towards the dark island ahead of him, Yugi forced himself to relax and smile.

"You'll be okay. Everything will be just fine." He chanted to himself quietly. "You've got this, just remember it's just like a game of chess. It's just a game."

* * *

Yugi had never been through something that was as tense as the moment their boat finally docked at the small harbor of the private island the Gathering was being hosted on. Not even the deadliest mission had been on, could compare to this moment in his life. Just minutes before they had made landfall, Yami appeared by his side and gave him brief instructions on how to act and to not leave his side at all until after they had reached the 'staging' room. Yugi had agreed without any resistance, knowing that Yami would protect him from danger. Just like he had promised last night to do, and during the light earlier in the day.

Now, as he stood next to Yami after leaving the boat, Yugi finally felt the reality of the Gathering slowly starting to sink in. It was unnerving and when Yugi's small group of friends started to walk ahead of him and Yami, the human tried to follow, only to be caught by the wrist by Yami; holding him in place by his side. Yugi looked at Yami, expecting and explanation, but only received a cold reprimanding glare. The glare sent a cold chill through Yugi and reminded the human of when the vampire had openly admitted his dislike of Yugi. Biting his lower lip, Yugi turned his head away from Yami, his eyes a downward cast.

He wished he wasn't at Yami's side. Infact, Yugi wished Atem would just hurry up and steal him away from Yami like he had declared he would. Yugi wouldn't resist him, he would gladly go with the former pharaoh. Afterall, Atem was a hell of a lot nicer to him than Yami was, and he and the pharaoh actually had a budding friendship.

When he and Yami started walking, Yugi notice how the Sacred Guardians circled around them, their Sacred Items out in the open and their heads held high. Yugi had once again tried to pull away from Yami to catch up with his friends, But Yami's grip on his wrist only tightened and refused to let Yugi get any farther than a single leg stride ahead of him. Wincing the human turned to glare at the pureblood vampire who kept his gaze straight ahead, not paying attention to Yugi's glare. Huffing, Yugi muttered "Butthole," under his breath, before focusing on following the pathed path way they walked and observed his surroundings.

The moment their parade entered the wooded area of the island, Yugi immediately began to notice a shift in demeanor among their group. He didn't need to wonder why. He spotted several vampire hunters lurking about in the shadows of the trees, out of sight to those not trained or with heightened senses. The human felt Yami's hand tightened on his wrist and Yugi glanced up to see Yami's emotionless poker face showing signs of aggravation and stress. Yugi wiggled his wrist, sliding it out of Yami's grasp and replacing it with his hand. The human gave a gentle and reassuring squeeze to the hand of the vampire hoping it would help him relax a bit.

Their opponent had made their opening move for this game that was the Gathering, and Yugi countered by forcing a confident smile and holding the hand of his vampire. They could not afford to show their weaknesses in front of the keen eyes of the watch vampire hunters.

With Yami's hand in his, Yugi felt more relaxed and it confused him greatly, but he did not show it. Only Atem had this kind of effect on his mind, Yami never could have calmed him like this. Yugi pondered if it was compulsion, but he knew it wasn't for there were no signs of Yami attempting to use any mental methods to try and calm human narrowed his eyes slightly feeling sadden as he came to a possible conclusion, he was starting to compare Yami to Atem.

The walk through the woods was luckily short for the human and the group of vampires he traveled with. Their path had lead them to a massive clearing in the middle of the island where a massive castle like structure laid dormant and was glowing warmly with light and a the light noise of chatter filled the air. Yugi's eyes lit up as he gazed at the scene before him. Although he should have felt intimidated, the young male couldn't help but feel like he was witnessing something from a medieval fairytale. The stone castle was huge and well preserved. The lawn was carefully tended to and a lush green with not a blade of gras out of place. Even the two men standing guard at the massive front doors, seemed surreal to the human.

"How did you find this place?" Yugi voiced his question, still awed as he and Yami took their time to approach the main entrance of the venue. His violet eyes were examining every detail they could.

"I didn't find it, the Eastern Hemisphere's Director of the International Vampire Hunters discovered it a few years ago. It's a Renaissance vacation resort. We rent it for the last two weeks of the year for the Gathering," Yami calmly replied. Yugi felt the vampire's hand relax in his as they approached the door, and it caused the human to smile gently. 'Good, Yami's finally relaxing.'

The seventeen year old had many questions he wanted ask about their magnificent venue, but he held his tongue. They were now at the double door entrance with the two guards stationed in front. One was a man dressed in an all black suit with sunglasses on to hide his eyes, the other was a female dressed in a completely white suit with her own pair of dark sunglasses. Both wore an earpiece, no doubt for receiving and delivering messages with the other security guards working the Gathering.

With no words uttered, and none needing to be said, the guards opened the heavy wooden doors for Yugi and the highest ranking vampires of the Vampire Kingdom. Mahad and Lady Isis had entered first followed by Yami and Yugi with Karim and Shada trailing behind them. The moment Yugi cross the threshold of the entry way, he felt his shoulders grow heavy and his stomach tighten.

This was it. He was here at the Gathering and there was no turning back now. He was willingly continuing the game he played with Devil's minions without Lady Luck on his side. There was no escaping back to a normal life. There was no turning back.

"Calm down Yugi," Yami spoke softly to his feeder, glancing down at the young male as he lead the human towards a room known as the 'staging' room.

Yugi sighed and tried to relax his body, that was when he notice his hand was squeezing Yami's painfully tight. "Sorry, it's just overwhelming," He answered apologetically and loosened his grip on the vampire.

"It's fine, just remember you cannot show them any weakness. You must be firm and stoic like a leader. If the crowd doesn't see you as a one, you have to make them see you as a leader."

Yugi looked at Yami to see the man gazing at him with an emotionless expression, but his eyes were looking at the human with his gaze ahead to watch where he was going, Yugi gave a curt nod to the royal vampire. "I will."

After sever twist and turns, ascending a small staircase, and traveling down several hallways, Yami, Yugi, and Sacred Guardians arrived at their destination. The inside of the staging room was a spacious lobby with light and dark browns accenting the plain beige room. The room itself was nothing special, however, the people inside it was a different story. And when the young Mutou seen just who was in the room, his jaw dropped to the floor.  
Yugi was surrounded by legends. People he had dreamed of being able to meet before he was forced into becoming Yami's personal feeder. Before him were seven of the eight legendary hunters of the I.V.H.A., the six hunters who ruled over the divisions within the Association and Maximillion Pegasus himself. While Yugi gawked at the men and women like a child staring at the world's largest candy bar, Yami dragged him along as he began formally greeting some of the most dangerous humans in the world.

Yami used a warm smile and a firm handshake as he greeted each executive member of the International Vampire Hunters Association, before introducing Yugi who dumbly followed Yami's example and shook their hands with a smile.

They had started their round of greetings with Asuka Tenjouin the special ops coordinator and the Australian branch's director. She was fully mature woman with beautiful golden hair and eyes, and wore an elegant deep blue and black cocktail dress that made it easier for her to move in. She had given Yugi a warm smile, but her eyes were cold as she gazed at him with introduced herself and said nothing more, causing unneeded tension between her and the young human. And as they went on to greet the rest of the hunters, Yugi found their own reactions similar to Ms. Tenjouin's.

They went on to greet Zane Truesdale, the Second-in-command of the Eastern Hemisphere sector of the I.V.H.A. and the Russian branch director; Tyranno Hassleberry, the South American branch director, and weapons designer and militia specialist coordinator; Edo Phoenix, the North American branch's director, and the Second-in-command of the Western Hemisphere sector of the I.V.H.A; and Crow Hogan, the Iceland branch director and the frontline coordinator and stealth force leader. It wasn't until Yugi and Yami had greeted Rio Kamshiro, the South African Director and interracial relations coordinator, and her twin brother Ryoga Kamshiro, head of Research and development and the North African Director; when they were greeted with a different reaction other than false siles and bitter judgement.

Rio was smiling brightly at them and instead of accepting a handshake, the female had given hugs to both Yami and Yugi, stating, "It's good to see Yami has finally took up a human partner!"

Ryoga on the other didn't even bother with a handshake or introducing himself, as his gentle sister took care of his own introduction. He kept silent and had his arms crossed over his chest while he glared at both Yami and Yugi.

Finally, Yami and Yugi made it to the one and only, Maximillion Pegasus, the Japanese branch's director, and Head Director/Representative of the Western sector of the International Vampire Hunters Association. Dressed in an all black suit like the rest of the male vampire hunters, Pegasus had distinguished himself by wearing a bright red tie with a red rose pinned to his breast pocket. Yugi felt Yami tense beside him, his smile long gone.

"Director Pegasus," Yami spoke shortly, his free hand not holding Yugi's outstretched for the powerful hunter to shake.

"Prince Sennen, how wonderful to see you again," Pegasus spoke calmly in a carefree manner as he took Yami's hand and shook it, but neither man released the other's hand after the action.

"I caught yet another one of your men treading in a place the shouldn't have been, Max. Care to explain?"

"He was just observing the festive events of your birthday, nothing more. Besides, I've heard that you've been having trouble within your own domain. Issuing a warning to the vampire community without any detail other than to look out for a suspicious 'person'," Pegasus' voice took a darker turn his one brown eye narrowing as he gazed down at Yami. "I see you've even lost one another one of your Sacred Guardians. What a pity."

"Neither of those subjects are of your concern. You should focus on your own kind. Like your partner. I see that the Eastern Director failed to show again. Are you sure he his properly fit enough to govern the Hunters' Association?" Yami countered, his own eyes narrowing, but his voice was flat and never rose with his bubbling anger.

"Hmmm,"Pegasus continued to stare at Yami for a moment longer, before his gaze shifted to Yugi and he smiled brightly at the youth. "Yugi, my dear boy, how are you? I'm shock to see you here with Yami, I thought you wanted to follow in your grandfather's footsteps."

Yugi, jumped slightly when Pegasus suddenly started speaking to him so familiar and even brought up his grandpa of all people. He felt Yami's burning gaze on him and refused to look at the vampire as he tried to cover his ass due Pegasus' words. Sometimes Yugi wondered if the the director loved to see him squirm under pressure.

"I'm well, sir. I hope you are the same," Yugi started off, smiling warmly at pegasus, but his eyes were hard with unspoken fury. "No, I had no intentions of following my grandfather's footsteps. Those were only rumors, I want to be my own person."

Pegasus smiled before laughing and placing a hand on Yugi's shoulder and shaking the boy lightly. "Ah, that answer never changes, does it?" The director asked with a bright smile that made Yugi relax a little and his anger towards the other quickly faded. It had just been idly conversation to fool Yami. "I'm glad you want to stay out of such violent ways, but it is a bit of a shock to see you as Yami Sennen's feeder. Oh, where are my manners? Yami,-" Pegasus turned his gaze to the leader of the vampire race, "Yugi and I know each other through his grandfather. Solomon and I grew up together and I occasionally go over to his home for visits with my old friend, isn't that right Yugi-boy?"

"Y-Yes!" Yugi automatically answered and looked at yami with a nervous smile."Sorry I never told you, It just didn't seem important."

Yami sighed through nose, some of his tension seemed to visibly fade away as he nodded in understandment. "It's fine, but it was quite the shock, I have to admit." The vampire offered a smile to Yugi.

The human felt his chest grow tighter when he seen the smile Yami gave him. It was fake, to make it appear that he cared about and liked Yugi, but the human knew better. Letting go of Yami's hand, Yugi feed himself from Yami's grip and pointed over to a plush arm chair in the far left corner of the room. "I'm going to go sit and wait over there. I need to mentally prepare myself for what's to come."

"Very well." Yami didn't protest when Yugi left his side, instead, Yugi was positive he welcomed it as he engaged in a more political conversation with Pegasus after Yugi's departure.

* * *

After taking a seat in the arm chair he and pointed at, Yugi slumped back into the comfortable chair and closed his eyes as he tied to relax his already tired body. He needed to focus on himself, on the official set of rules for Feeders he was going to be reciting to the public in just a few short minutes. His opponent had managed to rattle his nerves with that last moved he had made in their deadly game. Now it was time for Yugi to counter and make a strong comeback.

As the human focused on going over the list of rule mentally, he heard a man addressing the vamp hunters, telling them that it was time for their introductions. Yugi could already hear the familia voices of both Ryuuji Otogi and Mai Kujaku addressing the crowd that awaited him. Minutes passed like seconds to Yugi, causing the human to feel nauseous as his neves slow overtook his senses.

A gentle pat to his shoulder caused Yugi to open his eyes and look at a stern vampire said nothing to Yugi and only held out his hand for the boy to take. He didn't need to, Yugi knew that it was time to seal his fate permanently.

Taking Yami's hand, Yugi let the other pull him up from the chair and lead him out o the staging room and down the hallway. The huma could hear Otogi introducing Lady Isis and announcing he rank with in the Vampire Lady Isis let the line of Sacred Guardians to enter the area the Gathering was being hosted in, Yugi noticed Mahad stepping up to replace where Isis had stood, and Yami following suit. Yugi looked down at his feet. Karim and Shada had already been announced, and now it was almost his and Yami's turn.

Yugi steeled his nerves and thought of the calming feeling Atem always provided him. He needed that familiar sense of comfort right now. Yugi heard Mahad's title be announced and looked up to see the man walking straight ahead with confidence. Yugi took a deep breath and tried to calm himself before nodding to himself. "Alright, I'm ready."

Yami chuckled softly and shook his head. "Than prove it to them."

Yugi cut his eyes at the man before he broadened his shoulders and held his head up high. "I don't need to, they'll know as soon as they see me." _'I'll carry myself like a ruler, like I'm a king. Just like what Atem does.' _

"Ladies and gentleman, I now introduce to you our beloved ruler of the Vampire Kingdom. He is strongest of our kind, the purest of pureblood vampires, the last remaining member of the Sennen pureblood line, the mate of our beloved late ruler of the Muran bloodline, with powers unmatched by any other existing vampire, he is well on his way to becoming one of the Original vampire Bloodline. All hail honorable Prince Yami Sennen, ruler of the vampire kind and the Vampire Kingdom!"

Yami began walking at an unhurried pace with his head held high and Yugi, mimicked the vampire with every step they took together. When they came to the end of the hallway, two massive double doors were propped open and revealing the bright open area the Gathering was held in. Yami tightened his grasp on Yugi's hand before raising their hands up in the air still clasp together like he and Yugi were a team of gladiators entering the Roman Colosseum.

Yugi kept his proud poker face in place as he and Yami stepped into the center of everyone's attention, despite how he want to show his surprise at the gorgeous space he was witnessing. He and Yami stood on the top of a massive grand staircase that cascaded down to the large regal appearing ballroom of the castle resort. The walls were a vivid red and the floors a pristine white marble. The high ceilings were vaulted with a massive chandelier of silver and glass hanging beautifully and threatening, over the heads of the Gathering's guests.

"Prince Sennen has been blessed by the heavens this year and has had worthy human who has chosen to stand by his side as his Feeder!" Yugi heard Yami snot softly at Otogi's comment, but kept his eyes on the massive crowd below him. The human noticed the camera crews in the back, recording and airing his debut as Yami's Feeder, live to the whole world. " Hailing from the great city if Domino, in the country of Japan, his highness, Royal Feeder to Prince Yami Sennen, our young lord, Yugi Mutou!"

Cheers and gasp echoed in the grand ballroom after Yugi was announced to the world as Yami's official feeder. There was officially no going back now. The human was officially trapped on the path to Hell, but he would give up hope for his chance of getting into the Heavens. When Yami walked forward, exposing them more to the crowd, Yugi took this chance to make his own impression on the his emotionless vampire counterpart who chose not to smile or look directly at the crowd, Yugi faced his demons head on with a bright confident smile and he head held up proudly.

They stood next to Director Pegasus and only then, did Yami lower their hands and Yugi take his eyes off the crowd to look to the vampire for guidance on what was to come next.

"Welcome to the Twelfth annual Gathering and Thank you for coming to witness history in the making as we come together to celebrate another year of peace between our two races: human and vampire!" Yami spoke loudly, his voice peaceful, but still commanding and fierce.A smile graced his features as he looked at the crowd, more specifically the cameras, and Yugi quickly mimicked the vampire with his own gentle smile on his face.

"Today we welcome another beginning of a year together and celebrate the ending of the previous year that we had spent in peace. We will also be resigning our treat of peace!" Pegasus announced proudly with the brightest smile Yugi had ever seen the man use.

"But before that, my Feeder, Yugi Mutou, will declare his loyalty to the Vampire Kingdom and myself before you all with a speech, as a part of our tradition in the vampire race!" Yami boldly announced and released Yugi's hand in the process.

Yugi masked his nervousness and confusion expertly with his smile as he walked toward the podium both Mai and Otogi stood next to. He wasn't aware that he was going to be given a speech, why hadn't Yami told him that? The human ignored the shocked looked from Mai and the excited thumbs up from Otogi as he took a deep breath to calm his nerves.

Stepping up to the podium, Yugi adjust the microphone's height and distance so the crowd would get the best sounds it picked up. Looking down at the wooden surface of the podium, Yugi notice their was speech that had already been cleverly written for him. That was one less worry he had.

Yugi returned his gaze to the crowd and gave them his biggest smile, one he typically only used around his friends and family.

"To be standing he tonight before so many people, is a great honor and privilege. Just a few weeks ago, never in my life would I have imagine I would be-" _'__given the pleasure of being his highness' feeder...I'm not saying that!' _ The human quickly omitted the sentence from the speech and replaced it with his own. " Attending this special occasion where vampires, human feeders, and vampire hunters all come together to celebrate the peace that the hiatus of the war between the Vampire Kingdom and the International Vampire Hunter Association." Yugi disregarded the speech that had been written for him. He wasn't going to read it like some docile servant. No, he would speak to these people with his own words with true thoughts and feelings behind his words.

"Tonight, we are here to renew our hiatus of the war and celebrate another new year of peace between the human and vampire kind. Becoming the Royal Feeder of Prince Yami Sennen, ruler of the noble and long living Vampire Kingdom, was not something I had planned or even thought of. To be frank, neither of us had planned it and was just a mere chance of faith that it had happened. Just a few weeks before Christmas, I was brutally attacked by a group of rogue vampires on my way home. My life at that time, was close to its end as I was chased down by the rogue vampires and viciously beaten. It was during that crucial moment in my life, that Prince Sennen appeared and rescued me from the newly formed monsters, successfully saving my life."

Yugi paused to let his words sink in, not once had he looked down or broke eye contact with his audience. He scanned the crowd evenly, never staring in one direction for too long.

"That night, I offered my blood to the Prince as a offering of thanks for him saving my life and in the hopes I could repay the debts I owed him for doing so. Now, I stand here before both nobles, commoners, and my fellow feeders of the Vampire Kingdom and before the members of the International Vampire Hunter Association, to pledge my undivided loyalty to the person who saved me from one of the worse deaths the could befall a human. As your Royal Feeder, I swear by the blood that flows through my veins, to uphold the standards given to all feeders, to become a role model that all feeders can look up to, and to help make this world a safer place for not just humans, but for all the living creatures that inhabit it. I promise to always make sure that Prince Yami Sennen, the rightful ruler of the Vampire kingdom, will always be in good health and in peak strength. I vow to Vampire Kingdom that I will protect their king, our king, and to be his faithful servant and companion as long as we both shall live. I, Yugi Mutou of Domino City, hereby pledge my undying loyalty to the Vampire Kingdom and its ruler, Prince Yami Sennen and shall serve the beloved Vampire Kingdom along with its people, and their just ruler."

Yugi felt a sense of warmth flow through his body when the participants of the Gathering started to loudly applaud him, with a few guests even whistling and cheering him on. He smiled even bright, a hint of pink dusting his cheeks when he saw Jonouchi in the crowd giving his two large thumbs up and yelling at him that he did a fantastic job. When the crowd finally calmed down and was silent again, Yugi cleared his throat and gazed at straight at the cameras watching in the back of the ballroom, his smile long replaced with a poker face that resembled Yami's unemotional expression.

"As the Royal Feeder, I represent the population of humans who have devoted their lives to support and aid of the vampire race. As a part of an annual tradition, I shall recite the major rules a feeder must uphold, in place of Prince Yami Sennen."

Yugi was silent until he was sure he had everyone's attention solely on him and during his small pause, he reminded himself that this was his move now. It was his turn to be on the offensive and to show the world what the hours of studying had done for him.

"The Feeder's code, also know as the rules of subjugation, are the set or rules, or laws, that a feeder of any vampire must uphold as the provide their services to a vampire. Rule one, a feeder must always obey the command of their vampire, or it is for our protection that they give us a command. Rule two, a feeder must never question their vampire's decisions involving them, the vampire is always thinking with their feeder's will and protection, in mind. Rule three, a feeder must never abandon their vampire or their duties as a vampire's feeder, especially after the bond has been established. This can cause permanent damage to both parties of the bond. Rule four, the bond between feeder and vampire must always stay intact after it is established, for if it is broken or tampered with harmful effects will be inflicted on both parties. Rule five, do not resist feedings, to do so will on put the feeder in danger by triggering the internal instincts inside their vampire due to their vulnerable mind state. I can cause the feeder to become several injured or may even kill the feeder."

Yugi paused as he felt the weight of the next rule bare heavily on him. He kept a calm and continued look straight ahead as he mentally prepared to continue reciting the rules. He just hoped karama wouldn't come back to bite his after he said this, considering that he has already lied to Yami more than once because of Atem and Pegasus.

"Rule six, never speak lies to your vampire, a feeder must always be truthful for trust is the founding principle of the bond and for the feeder's relationship with their vampire. Rule seven, a feeder must not speak of the habits of a vampire's feeding to another feeder or vampire, it is a sacred event that must not be shared. Rule eight, a feeder is forbidden to enter a vampire infested area without the company of a trusted vampire to ensure a feeder's protection. Rule nine, it is forbidden to allow another vampire feed from a feeder after a feeder's bond has been established with their vampire. Finally, rule ten, a feeder is to never betray their vampire or intentionally cause harm to their vampire, for the same is applied vice versa. For it is the ultimate crime a human can commit against a vampire."

A round of applause loudly echoed through the ballroom and Yugi let out a soft sigh through his nose. He was almost done. All he had to do was state the conclusion and pass the control back to the two men of the hour, Pegasus and Yami. "These are the major rules that all feeders must obey and follow in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, they are the law for a feeder. While some are negotiable to be bent at in a time of emergency, others are not in are strictly in place for the protection of human feeders. At this time, I would like for you to give your attention Sir Maximillion J. crawford Pegasus, Representative of the Eastern International Vampire Hunter Association, and Prince Yami Sennen, leader of the Vampire Kingdom!" Yugi finished strong, letting his proud smile return as he stepped away from the podium and out of the center of attention As Pegasus and Yami took his place behind the podium. He was done, finally he could relax and enjoy his New Year's Eve.

Yugi watched in amazement as a woman dressed in all white escorted by several vampire hunter, approached Pegasus and Yami with a black box pressed snugly to her chest. When she handed it to Yami, the prince held it up for all to see. It was the treaty between the Vampire Kingdom and the I.V.H.A. Once it was placed on the podium, Pegasus and Yami both read the treaty's summary in sync to the participants of the Gathering.

"This document hereby formally declares the hiatus of the conflict between The International Vampire Hunter Association and The Vampire Kingdom. It ratifies that the two sides will not hold hostile battles with one another and will resolve matters through civil and peaceful measures. By signing this document, both sides agree to the consequences that should befall them, should they chose to break this treaty."

Once the two men had stopped speaking, they were supplied with pens and both of the men signed the document together. Camera flashes were going off as they signed and afterwards, when both Pegasus and Yami held up the documented treaty with their signatures. Once the whole ordeal was finished, the document was whisked away by the same woman who brought it out, and Pegasus taped on the podium's microphone to gather everyone's attention.

"Now that all the formalities have been taken care of, let the celebration commence and let us welcome the New Year together as one!"

* * *

**_'Slap!'_**

"What the hell did you think you were doing?!"

Yugi hissed and rubbed his right cheek with his palm, trying to sooth the soreness in it that was caused by Yami's harsh slap. The first moment the pureblood vampire got to sneak out of the crowded ballroom with his feeder, Yami seized only to reprimand Yugi for going off script.

Violet eyes glared at the vampire with a look of both anger and hurt. "I was giving a speech like you _failed _to tell me about, and from the audience's reaction I thought it was a pretty damn good one!" Yugi fired back his fist curled at his sides as glared at Yami. "If you thought I was going to read some docile servant speech in front of a room full of vampire hunters and excited feeders, then you really do not know me as well as you should."

"I didn't tell you about it because it was to help alleviate the stress of you having to think about writing a speech for the entire world to hear! You're just a young senseless human, you aren't capable of handling that type of stress!" The vampire snapped back, using a hand to grab Yugi's left shoulder and press him back against the wall of the secluded bathroom they were in. "You should be thankful I was think of you when I had it written!"

"I'm not some helpless creature, Yami! I can handle stress just fine, much better than you give me credit for!"

"You do not know that Yugi! You have never been in this type of situation before. You are a seventeen year old human, you are still but an infant compared to me and my kind!"

"Maybe I would know for sure if I could have handled it, if you would have just let me try it. You only caused me more stress in the end!" Yugi countered using a hand to try and pry Yami's hand off him. "Let me go!"

"I caused you nothing! You did to yourself because you refuse to listen to me," Yami hissed out as he only tightened his grip on Yugi's shoulder. "You need to have more respect from me. In your own words, you accepted this as a sign of gratitude for when i saved your life!"

"How can I have respect for you when you don't even respect me!? You don't even like me!" Yugi yelled out and continued to struggle against Yami, the human felt his eyes sting as his anger grew. "You're such a self-righteous asshole. Have once considered how I felt about this situation? Maybe that's why Atem chose to be sealed away, because you only care about what Yami feels and what Yami wants! Maybe that's why he hates you now! Why he attacked you! Because your an asshole who care about nothing other than yourself!"

The purebred vampire's grip went slack and his eyes went wide with the human's harsh words. Yugi took the opportunity to escape from Yami's grasp and moved away from the vampire. "How about next time you assume something, maybe you should actually stop and think if it is actually correct before doing something based off your assumption," the human informed the vampire before he exited the bathroom and returned to the Gathering in search for his friends. He would worry about doing damage control with Yami later when he was actually forced to. For now, Yugi only wanted to forget about the man and spend time with his friends as he salvaged what little time he had left of his New Year's Eve.

Yugi was able to find his friends, Ryou and Malik, rather easily, and it turned out the they had been looking for him too. When they had located each other, Yugi was greeted by hugs and words of praise or his speech, which the human accepted reluctantly with a blush on his face.

"It wasn't that good, I had to make up on the spot, or else I would have had to read some degrading speech Yami had wrote." Yugi rubbed the back of his head and looked away from Malik and Ryou. "Yami and I got in a fight over because I 'went of script' and didn't do what was expected of me."

"Well, I thought it was a brilliant speech, Yugi. It was well thought out and phrased. And very inspirational for us feeders, I look forward to seeing what you'll do in the future," Ryou spoke kindly to his Friend gave Yugi a warm smile. "I just know you'll do marvelous things!"

"I agree with Ry here," Malik spoke up and placed an arm around both Ryou's shoulders and Yugi's, smiling at his shortest friend. "It's a damn good speech, way better than the one Marik read to me. That one was boring and very bland. Nothing like your little spitball."

Yugi felt his cheeks warm up and he nudge Malik lightly in the ribcage. "It wasn't a spit ball, I made sure not to spit or stutter during," Yugi defended himself.

"You sure? That's not what heard from where me and Marik were standing. What did you think Ryou?"

"Well, he did pronounce some of his vowels rather aggressively in some spots."

The human covered his face and groaned, "You've got to be-"

"Yugi!"

Looking up, Yugi spotted a dark haired kid running up to him with a bright smile. The human's mood lifted as he recognized the youngest Kaiba brother running towards him. The human knelt down and caught the running child in his arms as Mokuba Kaiba all but tackled him in a hug.

"Mokuba, what are you doing running around unsupervised? Someone could have easily kidnapped you," The Royal Feeder scolded the young vampire and ruffled his hair as he stood upright.

"If someone did, it would be the Mutt's fault. Big Brother told him to watch me while he went to go talk the Prince," the young Kaiba claimed as he laughed and showed off his wide toothy grin.

"Hey you, brat! I told ya not run of from me like that!" Jonouchi shouted at Mokuba as he maneuvered through crowd to try and catch the wild and energetic kid.

"Uh oh, got to run! See ya later Yugi! Try not to get eaten up by Yami before i get to see you again." And just like that, Mokuba Kaiba took off past Yugi before the young male could reply to his comment.

"Bye Mokuba," Yugi called out to the boy, suppressing his laughter along with Ryou and Malik as Jonouchi approached them looking very aggravated.

"Why didn't you guys hold'em still for me? I've been tryin' to catch that damn brat since Moneybags made me watch him, " Jou complained as he glared at his three friends with a tired and annoyed gaze.

"Where would be the fun in that?" Malik answered his friend with a jesting question."We wouldn't get to see you get outsmarted by a little kid then."

"Oh fuck you," Jonouchi flipped of Malik before he turn his attention to Yugi and gave the short teen a hug. "You did good tonight pal! Burgers on me when we get back to Domino, got that? I go catch that brat now, but I'll talk to ya' once I catch this lil' punk."

After squeezing Yugi one last time, Jonouchi took of in the direction Mokuba had fled in, chasing the smaller Kaiba in order to catch him before the older and more grumpier Kaiba brother caught onto what was happening.

"So Yugi, do you want to meet some of the other feeders that both Malik and I know?" Ryou asked his friend with a kind smile and hopeful eyes. "They are all very nice and I'm sure you'll have a smashing time meeting them!"

Smiling, Yugi gave Ryou a nodded. "Sure! I would love to meet them!"

"That awesome! Ah man, you just got to meet Mako. He's a character you're bound not to forget," Malik spoke energetically with a light laugh. "Let's go hunt him down." Leaving his friends with no other choice, Yugi and Ryou followed behind Malik to go find the feeder known as Mako, while Ryou explained to Yugi who he was.

By the time Yugi had been introduced to the fifth feeder his friends wanted him to meet, the human was exhausted and tired of being to center of a conversation and was tired of the noisy they had finished speaking to the woman known as Vivian Wong, Yugi politely told Ryou that he needed to step outside for some fresh air. Thankfully Ryou understood and had told Yugi that he would tell Malik and that he hoped Yugi would be able to rest a bit once he was outside.

As the young human made his way outside to the balcony connected to the ballroom, Yugi couldn't help but feel grateful for having supportive friends that understood him. He wasn't sure if he would be the same person he was without them. The were a big part of the rock that kept him steady during the rough times he went through.

"Finally, a break." Yugi pressed his back against the rough stone exterior of the resort the Gathering was being hosted at. Outside, Yugi wasn't the only one that had migrated to the cool outdoors to get away from the chatty and dancing guests in the ballroom. Below the balcony, several hunters, vampires, and feeders had escaped from the party for a temporary change in environments. Relocating to a stone bench on the backside of the balcony, Yugi sighed in bliss as he took a seat and gave his legs a temporary break.

Now alone, Yugi reflected back on his speech as he gazed up at the starry moonless sky. What had been so bad about it? Why had Yami got so upset over him not reading the on he had planned? He should have known Yugi wouldn't have read it. Yugi slung an arm over his eyes and sighed heavily. If he and Yami created their bond now while they were on bad terms, Yugi was positive it would only end up failing. He didn't want that. Yugi wanted to actually get along with Yami i they were going to be partners from now on. He had to find a way to patch things between him and Yami, and apologies for the things he said earlier might be the best way to start making amends with the vampire. Especial before Atem showed up and made thing even more complicated. Who would need Yami to actually like him to survive the pureblood's wrath when he found out Yugi was in cahoots with the Original vampire the entire time since his revival.

"Is this seat taken, handsome?"

Yugi removed his arm from his face when the heard the charming voice of his former teammate. Violet eyes meet another pair of violet hues, and the young male smiled as he slid over to make room for Mai Kujaku to take a seat next to him. "Not all."

Mai hadn't changed one bit since the last time he seen her on Halloween. She wore a solid black skin tight dress that highlighted all of the womanly features of her body. She still wore almost too much makeup, and even though her eyes looked sad, her normal sassy smirk was still in place on her face. "So you sneak into the man's house during his birthday party and then end up getting hitched to him, that's got to be the craziest hook up story yet."

"Ms. Kujaku!" Yugi blushed heavily and curled his hand into fist on his lap as he pouted. "I know you know better than to think that!"

The elder vampire hunter laughed at the teen she had formally supervised and patted Yugi's shoulder lightly. "Kidding, I'm kidding! It's good to see you still can't take a joke," She teased with a sly grin and a twinkle in her sad violet eyes.

"Yeah, " Yugi laughed lightly and looked back up at the sky. He didn't want to see the sadness that lingered in his former instructor's eyes, he couldn't stand the sight. It was very unnatural to him. He must have disappointed her so much. To have fallen to the enemy so easily, and to the leader of their enemy at that.

"I bet you think I'm mad or disappointed at you, don't you Yugi Mutou? Well you're wrong, I'm not."

Yugi turned his head to the side to gaze at the vampire huntress with shock. "You're not?"

Mai's eyes were focused on the dark sky above them as she hummed in acknowledgement," Mhmm, just a little shocked. This situation was explained to me and Rebecca, but enough of that. That's a story for another time. Hawkins sends her regards that she couldn't come to the Gathering. She couldn't get a ticket from South Africa to Japan that would have made it in time for her to hitch a ride with me to the Gathering. "

"Rebecca's in South Africa?"

"She got inducted just a week after Halloween and they placed her under the care of Mr. Kamshiro. She loves it there," Mai explain with a smile. "I got promoted myself, too. Starting next week I will be the co-commander of the special ops with Asuka."

"That's amazing! Congratulations!" Yugi sat up and gave Mai a bright smile. "I know you'll do amazing as a commander!"

The vampire huntress laughed lightly and and shook her head. "That just means I'll be a greater threat as an enemy to you, Mutou."

Yugi's smiled vanished from his face and he tugged at his pants lightly. "Right, I'm one of your targets now." He had almost forgotten about that detail, and it pained him that head forgotten the costs of his mission.

"That's right, but just between you and me, I'll save you for last and make sure to savor the kill."

Yugi smiled at that. "Thanks, ."

"No problem, handsome," She winked before standing up and waving at someone down on the ground below them. "I'll be taking my leave now, stay alive till I get to see you again, Mutou. I want to be the one who gets to see in your final moments."

Yugi shivered at her comment, but nodded and smiled warmly at the maiden. "I'll try too. I'll see you soon."

The blonde nodded with a seductive smile. "Soon," she repeated before taking off in a light energetic run toward whom ever she was waving at.

After Mai left left Yugi, the former vampire hunter trainee couldn't help but miss those days when he had trained under Mai. She had practically taught him everything he knew about self defense against a vampire. He had shared so many fond memories with the woman, she elt almost like a close aunt to Yugi. While Yugi was happy that she was moving up in her career as a vampire hunter, her regretted not being about to properly celebrate with her, not without risking his secret being revealed to Yami. Speaking of Yami, he needed to go apologize to the vampire and discuss about what they were going to tonight regarding when Yami wanted to feed from him and forge the bond.

Standing from his seat, Yugi retreated back inside to the ballroom, however, when he started walking he couldn't help but feel like someone was watching him. Turning around and scanning his environment, Yugi brushed the feeling off as paranoia, before heading inside to track down Yami.

At first Yugi thought that he should go check the bathroom that he had left Yami in, but when he caught the glimpse of the vampire Prince by the grand staircase, Yugi immediately altered his course to maneuver through the energetic crowd towards his vampire partner.

"Hey, Prince Yami-" Yugi cut himself off when he reach the bottom of the grand staircase, only to find it void of the royal pureblood vampire.

Looking around the ballroom, Yugi spotted him near the table where refreshments were being served. Huffing, the human maneuvered his way through the crowd again to where the vampire was located.

"Yami I need to talk to-" Once again, when Yugi reach the area he had spotted the vampire at, Yami had somehow magically appeared on the other side of the room. Annoyed by the vampire's trick and silly game of "Keep Away" he was playing, Yugi decided to ignore the bitter vampire until he came for Yugi. At least Yami couldn't say Yugi didn't try to approach him.

Grabbing a serving of a sweet punch that was being served to the humans, Yugi greedily drank the concoction as he eyed Yami from across the room with an evil glare. The human noticed how the pureblood vampire deliberately kept his back to him no matter where he had moved to, or who he was speaking with.

"Grr," Yugi growled in aggravation as he slowly sipped on his drink. This was going to take more than some damage control. It was going to take a miracle for Yami to actually acknowledge him again. _'I'm probably going to have to be in some kind of danger or he'll have to be starving, for him to actually pay attention to me.'_

Suddenly, the entire ballroom went pitch black without warning and screams started to echo throughout the ballroom.

Yugi cursed under his breath, "Shit, I didn't mean that literally!" he hissed as he dropped his drink on the ground after being shoved out of the way by a panicking guest.

Vampires hissed in aggravation, calling out to the feeders and mates in the dark. Feeders cried out for their vampires, and hunters shouted out commands or everyone to remain calm as they unsheathed their hidden weapons and prepared to defend themselves. Yugi slowly walked backwards til his hit something solid that felt like a wall. That was, until an arm wrapped around his waist.

"YAM-" His scream for the Prince of Vampires was silenced as a hand quickly covered his mouth to silence his scream. The huam struggled against his capture, using his hands to try and pry the arm holding him captive, away from his body. While he struggled, Yugi felt his body being lifted effortlessly and his kidnapper moving.

Yugi screamed as loud as he could into the hand covering his mouth. He on stopped once he heard the chaotic sounds of the Ballroom fading and leaving behind the hissing and static like noise. It almost sound like the noise produced by Atem after he had fed from him and became a mature vampire.

Yugi struggled more violently when he realized this, scared that he was being stolen away by another Original vampire. That's when the human heared the soothingly low chuckle that struck fear in his heart, but also instantly made Yugi grow angry as he recognized the deep laughter.

The human kicked his legs trying to aim a heel strike in his kidnapper's crotch. He kept missing, which only add to the human's fury. Yugi swore to the heavens and the great God above that once he was free, he was going to murder this man! _'__Just what is he thinking kidnapping the officially claimed Royal Feeder, when I was just presented to the world by Yami? Is he out of his mind making the ballroom go dark and underground cave with vampire hunters and vampires both in the room? Is he truly insane? Does he want us both to die!?'_

Yugi heard a door softly open and close, before he was finally rewarded with his captor speaking to him.

"Relax Yugi, everything will be _just _fine."

* * *

Unwillingly, Yugi found his body relaxing as Atem's soothing voice enter his ears. The human teen already had known it was the Pharaoh the moment he had chuckled, though Yugi had a feeling that laughter was meant for someone else to recognize who he was, rather than the human himself.

Slowly, his vision returned to normal and Yugi found himself once again in the staging room, but this time he was alone with the Original vampire. Tilting his head back, the human gazed up at the vampire, who was gazing down at him as he still held Yugi by the waist. The human smiled happily at first before scowling at vampire.

"Did you miss me?" Atem asked with his signature smirk.

"I swear to God, you are the biggest idiot I know," The human snapped at the vampire, not answering his question. "You leave not even a day after you feed from with no words, make me worry for you, and then suddenly reappear at the Gathering and causing a gigantic scene and kidnapped me, just to ask if I "_missed you_"!?"

"...No, I have other motives than to just talk to you," Atem admitted with some hesitation as he released Yugi and placed him on the floor. "I needed to secure you before I could place the rest of my plan into action."

Once he was free, Yugi turned around to face Atem directly. "What plan-an-an -W-Why are you wearing that!?" Yugi's face turned a bright red as he took in Atem's attire.

The former pharaoh was dressed in slim black dress pants with a silver chain accent on his front left belt that connected to his pocket, a small black cellphone holder was strapped to his left thigh, black dress shoes covered his feet, and a black leather belt held his pants in place on his waist. Atem's torso was covered by a white button up collared shirt, he had the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the shirt was unbutton halfway down his chest, revealing the Original's bronze chest that was scared from his seal. On top of that, he wore a deep red vest that just screamed for attention, a golden chain necklace Yugi had bought him, thick golden bands around his right wrist that had to be from the time when Atem was pharaoh, along with the assortment of rings that he wore on each hand.

"What? I came dressed properly for the event, did I not?" Atem asked with a smug smile as he stretched out his arms, as if he was putting his body on display for Yugi.

"I...well, Yes, I mean no!" Yugi felt his cheeks burn with a deep blush. "You're wearing red, you can't wear red unless you're…" Yugi trailed off and Atem's smug grin grew larger.

"Unless I'm what, Yugi?" Atem urged the boy to go on.

"Unless you're…"The human sighed heavily and looked at Atem with a stern look, trying to look serious with the bright blush on his face. "Unless you are of the Muran bloodline, or the Original vampire."

"Precisely," Atem confirmed and smirked confidently at Yugi, his upper fangs protruding from his mouth slightly. "And I am both of those, so it is acceptable for me to wear this. And by the end of tonight, everyone will be aware that I am the true king of the vampire race. But first,"

Atem moved closer to Yugi and pulled human into a gentle embrace. "I believe I owe you an apology for leaving you and your grandfather unexpectedly."

Yugi's heart began to race from the sudden emotional contact Atem gave him. He knew he and Atem had a good relationship until the male had tossed him aside like a used condom. But it was never this close!

"Um, it's okay now...It wasn't a big deal, really. But I still want to know in detail why you left." Yugi placed his hands on Atem's chest to the man away, but instead that simply lingered there as he felt the other's muscles retract underneath his touch. His continued to burn a bright red as his eye softened from the reaction.

"It still hurts despite being completely healed, doesn't it?" Yugi asked, tilting his head up slightly to look the Pharaoh in the eye.

Atem's fiery red gaze was warm and affectionate as he gazed down at Yugi. "Mmmm." The vampire leaned his head down and rested his forehead against Yugi's as he gazed into Yugi's violet hues. " Externally, it's healed, but internally the wound hasn't healed completely, so it tends to be a little sore occasionally."

Atem closed his eyes and pulled Yugi even closer to his body. "I am truly sorry for leaving you, Yugi. I also missed you, but I had to go take care of a few things by myself before I could confront Yami."

Yugi felt himself calm down and his blush fade as he enjoyed the calming feeling of having Atem near him again. He had missed the vampire's company. "I missed you too, but I still want to know all the detail about why you left when you did."

Yugi felt Atem's body tense and heard the vampire swear in his native tongue, before Atem pulled away with a look of disappointment on his face as he avoided looking in Yugi's direction.

Now free from the vampire's hold, Yugi crossed his arms over his chest and snorted at the former Pharaoh. "Did you honestly think that flirting with me would get you out of trouble?"

"Well, that damn trick always worked on Heba and Yami, so I wanted to see if it worked on you," The Original vampire defended himself proudly, crossing his own chest and biting his lower lip out o frustration. "It was worth a shot."

Yugi huffed and puffed out his cheeks in frustration. "Atem how many time do I have to keep reminding you that I am not Heba? I may look like him to you, but I'm not like that bastard."

The former pharaoh's cheeks turned a faint red as he averted his eyes from Yugi. "I-I am aware you are not Heba."

Yugi smiled at the Pharaoh proud of the blush he caused to appear on the vampire's enjoyed seeing the flustered side of the vampire and teasing him over his uncanny habit of comparing him to his dead lover, Yugi needed to be serious and have Atem explain himself before the other got his wish and Yugi forgot about the subject.

"Atem...please, tell my why you left. And not just some short bullshit answer," Yugi pleaded with the vampire. "You can't leave me in the dark about these things if we're going to be in a successful partnership as feeder and vampire. Me and Yami already have our own issues, I don't need any between us."

The vampire still kept his gaze from looking at Yugi, but his face became serious as he glared at wall he found so very interesting. It was apparent that Atem was not used to not getting his way.

"I," The vampire sighed before turning to look at Yugi with aggravation clearly marked on his stoic face. "I had to explore what these 'rogue vampires' truly were before I could formulate any defense for myself. While you believed that I wasn't one, I needed to confirm for myself that it was true and I wasn't...one of those unholy creatures. I also traveled to my homeland in search of friends. They informed me on most of the events that had occurred during my absence. I plan on using my powers to retake my throne tonight, prove to Yami and others that I am not one of the creatures they incorrectly referred to as a rogue vampire. I will clear them of their arrogance, rebuild my kingdom, vanquish these vermin that are sullying my kingdom's good name, and finally track that bastard who is the cause of all of this mess and kill him slowly and painfully with no mercy!"

Yugi was quiet during Atem's speech, but as the man started to explain that he was going to retake the throne tonight at the Gathering, caused the human to grow bitter towards his friend. He couldn't let Atem make a mess he couldn't. And by the look on the vampire's face, he already knew Yugi was going to protest his course of action.

Violet hues narrowed into a defiant glare and warm fiery irises hardened into determined pools of lava.

"Atem you can't-"

"I already have, and you can do nothing to stop it, human. My plan has been in motion before you even woke up to get on Yami's aircraft this morning," Atem quickly interjected, cutting off the human. "You can either join me willingly, or I will have to force you into helping me, which I would prefer not to do. So please Yugi, will you not help me as your friend? As your partner?"

Yugi glared at Atem, knowing he had no other option but to aid in the Original's plan, regardless if he wanted to or not.

_"YUGI? WHERE ARE YOU?"_

Yami angered and worried voiced was clear but soft as it drifted into the staging room. Yugi could already sense that he was going to be in deep shit regardless if he ended up willing helping Atem, or not.

"Are you positive there is no other way?" Yugi asked the vampire, still hoping that Atem would say there was.

"I'm afraid not. All the nobles have gathered all together in one single night and there are cameras here allowing the public to see all that is going on. This is the only moment that I can completely gain back control in one swift move. It's my gambit, with your trust and Yami's, being my sacrifices," Atem clarified for Yugi in a gentle tone.

Yugi glares at the former pharaoh for a moment longer before sighing in defeat. "If I do this, you promise to protect me from Yami's wrath? He's not going to be happy with me or you."

Atem smiled and held out his hand for Yugi to shake, "You have my word. As long as I am by your side, you shall be safe from all threats, even if that threat is Yami or myself."

Yugi offered at a sad smile before he took Atem's hand and gave it a firm shake. "You have deal, just don't go back on your promise."

"I have given you my word, Yugi," The Pharaoh reassured the human. "You can trust that I will keep you safe from harm."

* * *

_**Important Author's note below, PLEASE READ ::**_

Hey guys! Thank's or sticking with traitor through it's summer and fall hiatus. I needed to address some major housekeeping issues within the story and I had to adjust the  
overall outline of the story.  
Here has what has been changed in Traitor:

First off, all chapters were officially edited and had all errors fixed in the previous chapters and I have written up to parts of chapter fifteen.  
With that said, the story should have a more solid foundation and not be as awkward or hard to read.

Secondly, Yugi's age has been modified to Seventeen instead of eighteen. My reasoning, welp, I noticed with the timeline of the story, that him being eighteen doesn't match up  
with his grade level, the age of his friends, or with crucial points in the story. So it had to change. It doesn't effect much o the story.

Thirdly, there has been major changes in **chapter eight regarding** Yugi's and Yami's conversation about Atem**. **So, the funny thing with about that change, was that I had to  
change it because Atem was never supposed to be brought up only 'Yugi's cousin', and some how neither my beta or myself caught it until I reread it over the summer  
and had a mini panic attack over it. I had to address it and it has now been fixed and it needs to be read.

Fourthly, there were minor changes to Yugi's mission briefing letter and the 'threat letter' from Pegasus. Nothing major was re-written, just rephrased to make his point very  
clear to the reader.

Lastly, I change the part about Atem having baby fangs. It's still implied he has them, but I changed it to say he hasn't 'fully matured' as a vampire. It sound more professional,  
is more easily understood, and its just a better fit.

These are the major revisions/changes to the story. There were other smaller changes, so just reread the previous chapters to see what they are. Most of it was minor phrasing  
changes.

Also, Traitor will be updated on a** biweekly to tri-weekly schedule** from now on. It's for the best so I can get the chapters written without feeling rushed.

Also, chapter thirteen will be held off on being posted directly after twelve for editing reasons. It is a beast. Much longer than this one and it is the conclusion the story's intro.  
With that said, Traitor's main plot is about to be tapped in to and our main antagonist of the story will finally get a to step into the spotlight. This also means that the love  
aspect of the story, Yugi x Yami x Atem, is going to start developing. It's going to to take time, so be patient. You can't rush love or character development.  
On another note, we will also be seeing more of Heba and uncovering what truly happened when Atem was sealed.

This chapter is a total of 20,013 words, not including my long ass Author's note.

If you enjoy Traitor, I have posted up a poll on my profile to determine which story should be posted next, please support me and vote in it. Your vote DOES matter.

Thank you for your support for this story, it means a lot to me!  
I love everyone of my readers and I'm thankful or all of you.  
Please continue to read, review and follow/favor this story.  
It shows me that more than just me and my beta care about it.


	13. Night XIII:Beginning of Change: Part Two

_**AN: **I finally got this baby out. Sadly I was in the hospital and I had to delay this chapter for a while, but I'm all good now, or at least I fell okay now! lol.  
Some important events take place in this chapter, especially a moment that we've all been waiting for since the beginning! Also, this chapter marks the end of part one of Traitor. Chapter fourteen will be part two's beginning and we will finally get to see what kind of king Atem was and still is.  
Thank you for your support and here is chapter Thirteen!  
_

* * *

**Night Thirteen:**

**Beginning of Change:_ Part Two_**

* * *

"Now listen well Yugi, I will not repeat myself twice. There is no time for it," Atem's baritone voice spoke clearly, but softly out of precaution.

" My appearance alone will cause a startle, with Yami, you, and I sporting similar hairstyles," the vampire chuckled sadly before continuing, "But, that alone will not be enough. You will kindly be the star and insure my control over the entire situation. No being will be able to resist seeing the new feeder held 'captive', and no one would dare think of trying kill me if it risked putting you in danger. All you have to do is stand still and look terrified. If I think you're failing in that acting department, I will have to give you a little 'encouragement' and I doubt either of us would enjoy that."

"Um, this might be a bad time to tell you, but I wasn't the best student in drama class, Atem, " Yugi informed the pharaoh while looking away, his cheeks tinted a soft red. "I also don't think I can fake a racing heart."

The royal sighed, covering his face with both of his hands before sliding them down so his crimson eyes could gaze at the human. "Then don't panic when you feel my presence in your mind. You can at least make it easy for me if I have to compel you to be scared."

The human blushed turned darker as he met the vampire's gaze, but nodded stubbornly.

"Caring on," the Original vampire spoke, dismissing the diverged conversation with a wave of his hand, "We will enter with me caring you, the shadows has made all the rooms pitch black, so you will not see till I dispersed them when I am ready to confront Yami. You do not need to know the rest and should not speak unless I direct you, understand?" Atem lowered himself to Yugi's height by bending at the waist, so he could look directly in the human's violet eyes. "You must understand I am trying to limit your involvement. The less you say and do, the easier it will be to make Yami believe you had no foul intentions when you helped me. Plus, this enter event will be recorded by a camera and broadcast to the entire kingdom. So, it is best to just keep your mouth closed and not do something you may end up regretting."

Atem stood up and adjusted his attire, making sure he looked almost perfect. "I believe I have informed you of all the essentials that you needed to know," he spoke confidently and offered a smile to the human.

Atem watched the human's reaction closely, his smile still in place. Yugi said nothing as he fidgeted with his hands and looked down at the ground. The Original vampire didn't need to call on to his powers to know what the male before him was thinking. Obviously he was trouble by helping him, and Atem was fine with that. Atem was also a little nervous himself. He hadn't spoken to an entire kingdom in many, many years. And then there was Yami, who Atem had no earthly idea how he was going to handle. The Pharaoh looked down at his hands, specifically at the few rings from his past that he wore on his fingers. _'It will work out in the end, will it not?'_

"A-Atem?"

The Pharaoh blinked and looked up to see Yugi staring at him concerned, his own nervousness showing through. "Yes, Yugi?"

The human visibly relaxed when the vampire replied, but his concerned look did not vanished. "You know, if you're not sure about this, you can wait and reclaim the throne more formally-"

"I told you before Yugi, there is no other way. I have to show my dominance to the entire race. I have to make it known that playtime is over and their true king is here. I am not uncertain, but I am a little nervous of confronting a person that I hold very dearly in my heart. It is not easy, especially given how much he has changed."

"Who knows, maybe Yami had changed for the better?" Yugi suggested hopefully to the vampire.

Atem chuckled sadly, but smiled kindly to notify his human companion that he accepted the pure thought, even though they both it was not so. His smile, however, faded as he caught a glimpse of the concealing stone around the youth's neck. Reaching his hand out, and took hold of stone, displeased that the human was still cherishing such a tarnished object.

"This… I will make you a new one once you are officially both mine and Yami's feeder, and then dispose of the one you wear."

"Why?" Yugi asked, pushing the pure blood vampire's hand away and taking a step back. "There's nothing wrong with the one I wear now. It still serves its purpose and functions well."

Atem looked at Yugi with a dissatisfied look and crossed his arms over his chest proudly. "That stone has been damned. It harbors evil and I shall not let a human wear a pendant that has witnessed Hell. It may seem to function well to you, but I can assure you the potency of my magic is beginning to wear away. Tell me, has Yami or the Sacred Guardians commented about your lack of scent tonight?"

"No, but-"

"Then that is proof that the spell is waning. They would be sure to comment on how it is dangerous to hide your scent from them and other nonsense. When I had made the stone for Heba, he would use almost everyday to try and escape from Yami and I, but he forgot that his scent was not hidden from me and-" A violent hiss echoed through the room when the Original vampire began to tell Yugi of his past.

Mumbling under his breath at the cursed wild black magic, Atem shook his head and gave Yugi an apologetic smile. "I shall finish my story another time, but I'm afraid we must go make our entrance. The shadows are beginning to grow impatient."

Yugi gave a nod of his head and made sure his appearance was tidy as when he was addressing the Vampire Kingdom. Before the human had time start walking, Atem picked the young man up and tossed him onto his shoulder like a sack of vegetables.

"H-Hey! What do you think you're doing! Put me down now, Atem!" Yugi protested, banging on the vampire's back with his fists. "I didn't agree to this!"

The pure blood vampire rolled his crimson eyes at the human and squeezed lightly at his hold around Yugi's waist. "I told you I was going to carry you, so quit complaining. If I carry you like you want me to, then it will give others the wrong impression. You would not want that, now would you Yugi?"

Yugi clenched the back of Atem's red vest tightly, scowling at the vampire's words. He let his silence be the answer to the vampire as Atem started to walk and exiting the room to go make their grand entrance. The vampire's pace was slow, even for a human. When his vision was suddenly stolen from him, the human had nothing to distract his mind from what he was about to get involved with. If things went south for Atem, no doubt Yugi was going to be dragged into Hell with the vampire. He just hoped the Devil would have mercy on his soul.

"Thou shalt have no fear," The vampire murmured softly and his arm holding Yugi secure to his his shoulder, tightened significantly. "As we face the Devil head on and succeed in escaping our damned fate."

Yugi sucked in a breath and clench even tighter on to Atem's vest. "What makes you think we can defeat the Devil?"

"I never said we would defeat him, merely control him. Maneuvering and wordplay are the key to this battle, " Atem chuckled lightly before he suddenly fell silent.

Seconds ticked by into a minute, and Yugi could no longer feel the soft footsteps of his fake captor. With the lack of movement, Yugi could only hear the panicked and angry cries of the Gathering's guests loud and clear, all shouting for help and for action to be taken. was a noise that would be forever etched in his mind; the fearful cry of mankind. Atem's shadows were truly terrifying, able to steal the senses of man right before them with no prior warning. It made Yugi wonder just how many times Atem had performed such a stunt before he was sealed away.

Atem's voice drifted into his ears. The vampire was softly speaking to himself in his lost native language. To Yugi, it almost sounded like the Pharaoh was saying a prayer. Perhaps, the vampire was. Yugi loosened his hold on Atem's vest. " Are… are you worried?" He spoke, the human's voice was barely even a whisper.

_'Slightly, but the gods will watch over us,'_ Atem's voice answer in Yugi's mind just as the human felt the Original vampire start to walk again. _' I will begin to compel you now. Please, remember you are in safe hands, I will protect you at all cost. Not only because I have debt to pay, but also because you are my feeder and a precious friend.'_

Yugi could feel his heart beginning to steadily increase its rhythm, making his body have a reaction similar to real fear. Despite his racing heart and sweaty palms, his mind was not in turmoil like his body thought. In fact, the human was actually surprised that Atem considered him as a friend. Yugi felt tremors course through his entire body and held on to Atem's vest as tight as he could. _'If you don't get me killed, I'll consider you as a close friend too. Deal?'_

Atem chuckled softly, _'It's a deal. Now ready yourself, it is** time**.'_

* * *

The violent hissing of the dark magic was the signal that informed Atem his time to act was now, before the black matter began tormenting his audience. His nerves were calm and his mind was at ease. He had much more at stake than his throne and lover. His plan must be executed precisely, or Yugi might be caught in a negative reaction that could very well end his life.

Face emotionless, Atem allowed the shadows to guide him to his destination, the center of the grand staircase. The scent of fear was so thick in the air, he could almost taste it on the bed of his tongue. The stage was set and the audience was packed full. All that was left was to draw back the curtains and reveal his unsuspecting audience the unfortunate play that was about to start. The Original vampire used a small amount of compulsion to persuade Yugi to squirm and struggle against his hold. The young human even added in some grunts and cries for Yami to help sell the act. And here the boy had claim to not be able to act, but Yugi was turning into the star of the show.

An eerie chuckle came from deep within Atem's chest like thunder, loud, powerful, and intimidating. The screams and cries of his audience fell almost to an absolute silence. He wasn't the one show the sinister side of his race, but Atem couldn't not deny that it felt so good to be the one to cause some of the most powerful people in the world, to crumble into mere terrified peasants. He'd almost forgotten the perks of being a king. With a the wave of his free hand, the shadows began receding and the cameramen he compelled to record his reintroduction into society, began to broadcast live to all of their viewers.

"Such a disgrace. I left you to take care of my beloved kingdom and you have only created a mess of it," Atem's voice was dark, but held an amused tone. The room had completely gone silent as the shadows allowed light back into the room and receded into Atem's natural shadow. The occupants were speechless at the sight looming before them. At the top of the grand staircase, stood Atem appearing just as regal as he had the last time he addressed his beloved kingdom. Yugi was the only noise in the room as he thrashed about from his position of being held on Atem's shoulder, as Atem took in the glory of accomplishing the first step in his plan. His crimson eyes, however, were quick to land on Yami to gauge his personal reaction.

Yami stood towards in left part of the crowd, his body struck motionless with all of his attention on the one and only, Pharaoh Atem Muran; King of the Vampire race. His stunned reaction gave Atem plenty of time to observe his mate properly.

Yami hadn't aged a single day. He was still just as beautiful as Atem remembered, but he had clearly changed. His body had a little more muscle mass, his limbs just a few centimeters longer, and his face had become sharper and even skinnier. His hair was still the same wild trio-colored spikes that match Atem's, and his skin still a soft light tan. However, it was Yami's eyes that had changed, they were not the warm and the beautiful mixture of reds and purples; they were cold and a blinding blood red. Atem suppressed a frown and instead, raised an eyebrow and gave his lover a cunning smirk.

"I am hurt, Prince Yami. No 'Welcome home' kiss?" Atem tossed out teasingly into the silent room before sighing softly and replacing his smirk with his original emotionless poker face. "I should not be surprised, you did not even send me an invite to my own party. A damn pity, but there is no use in fussing over it, not when there is more pressing matters to address. Such as..."

Atem paused to place the struggling Yugi on his feet. The human fought the vampire the entire time, but it was useless. Atem's grip of Yugi's waist was strong as steel and human could do nothing but scream and squirm as he forcefully had his back pressed to Atem's front. "Y-Yami!"

The Original's grip, although firm, was gentle to keep the human from real harm. Atem's smirked returned as he locked his arm around Yugi's waist and used his free hand to cuff the boy's neck and forcibly tilt his head back to expose the vulnerable flesh. When Atem looked down at Yugi's eyes, they were filled with pure terror and the vampire couldn't be prouder of his brave companion.

'_You are doing a fantastic job Yugi, not much longer and we will be finished here.'_ The vampire praised the boy. Leaning down, Atem nuzzled Yugi's neck encouragingly, but also taunting. " Your fee-"

"YUGI!"

Finally, someone among the crowd broke the silence. A blonde haired male was shoving his way through the crowd quickly, towards the staircase. Atem immediately recognized the young vampire as the male who tried to fight him outside the Mutou's home one night. Atem admired the boy's courage and friendship with Yugi. Clearly he was more of a man than his mate, who, had yet to even act or even move from his current position.

Atem's eyes narrowed and his black magic leapt from his shadow without his command towards the blonde male rushing towards him and Yugi. The King paid little attention to the man after the shadows went to attack him of their own accord. Instead, Atem turned his attention to Yami to speak.

"You would rather have your subjects attack me rather than face me head on to save your precious feeder? Pathetic-"

"Don't hurt him!" Yugi shouted at Atem, causing the vampire to blink and look down at the human, surprised by his out-lash.

All fear in Yugi's eyes had vanished, only a look of stern anger was present as he glared at Atem. "I don't care if you hurt me, but if so much as lay a finger on Jou or Prince Yami, I'll be sure to kill you where you stand!"

"What?" Atem gave Yugi a baffled look. _'Does this human even know what he is saying?'_

'_Yes, he does! And I mean it, if you hurt Jou, I will kill you. Yami though...I'll act as if I will. Just, call of the your magic from Jou before it devours him!'_ Atem tightened his light grip around Yugi's neck and glared at the boy. He made a minor mistake about broadcasting his thoughts to Yugi, but neglected the minor slip up as he focused on the blonde Yugi was so adamant about saving.

Shadow magic had already attached itself to Jonouchi's limbs, which the blonde was recklessly fighting against, but the magic had already consumed most of his arms and legs. The blonde's knees buckled the moment Atem's fire red eyes skimmed over the lower vampire. Releasing the human's neck, the Original vampire reached his hand out towards the Blonde to call of the shadows. The vile magic was already disobeying his wishes. He refused to have any of his subjects killed during his reclaiming.

Instead of receding from the vampire called Jonouchi, Atem witnessed his magic disobeying him and proceeded to attempt to consume the male at an alarming rate. The Original's eyes widened and panicking whispers and muffled cries erupted from the Gathering's guests. Atem released Yugi waist and grabbed his left wrist, the Vampire shield the boy behind his back as he scanned the room for signs of at least one of his former friends.

"JONOUCHI!" Shouted out to his friend, trying to pull away from Atem to go save his best friend. The Pharaoh refused to let the boy go and was evening preparing to run away with the Royal Feeder.

_'Yugi hurry and help me search for a Sacred Guardian! They hold the key to taming my magic so I can save-'_

**CRASH!**

A glass vase slammed Atem hard in the head near his left temple. The Original vampire released the human in order to balanced himself from his stumble. Yugi darted past him towards the vampire being consumed by his shadows, but that was the least of Atem's worries now. The vampire stood up tall and fixed his outfit. Something wet flowed down from his forehead and into his left eye. With an emotionless face, Atem used the tips of his fingers from his left hand to dab at the wetness, before pulling away so he could clearly see what was obscuring his vision.

Hunters and vampire guards seemed to move into action as Atem observed the dark red liquid that stained his finger tips. Innocent party guests were ushered into the corners of the room and away from Atem. Guards from both sides surrounded the innocent bystanders, Yugi, and the shadows consuming Jonouchi. Atem licked his blood from his fingers before coating his thumb in his saliva and wiping it across the cut on his forehead. The Original looked in the direction the vase was thrown from, his eyes a fiery red as he glared at the culprit who hit him

The Pharaoh was pissed.

"Enough of this foolish play, you devil!" Yami bellowed out, anger clear in his voice as he started to walk confidently towards the Original vampire. "Leave the innocent out of our game, that's a cowardly move for a _king_. "

Atem's clenched his hands into fists by his sides as he watched Yami move closer to him. His voice was just as deep as the last time he remembered it, but lack the warmth the Pharaoh was used to. His lover had truly changed over the millenniums they had apart from one another.

"Really now? " Atem laughed, but his voice held no amusement. "I am a king in your mind? I thought that man had made you degrade me into savage vampire. Though that would be an insult to your parents, now would it not?"

Yami growled loudly and stopped his approach towards Atem. The Prince of the Vampires was now at the bottom of the stairs looking up at his predecessor. "You damned bastard! Why didn't you rot away in Hell!?" Yami cursed at the Egyptian.

Atem chuckled lowly, his eyes softening slightly, but were still pools of anger. "I did, but then I conquered Hell itself," He smirked and began descending down the stairs of the grand staircase towards his mate. "I burned for centuries, wondering what I did to deserve a cruel fate. But slowly, I realized it was not my fault for my fate. I was trapped in an unexpected game of betrayal were I was left with no moves, no players, and no strategy. The pieces I had were turned against me, one by one. Even you, oh sweet prince."

Atem stopped halfway down the staircase, wanting to keep his leverage of being able to stare down at his mate. "Just when I thought my strength had finally left me and I was going to lose without even being able to counter, I found a weakness. A flaw in the plan of my opponent. He tried turning my favored piece against me, and he succeeded, but he created a weak point while doing so. I used that turning point to crush the obstacles in my way and pulled myself out of Hell as I conquered it. I even gained a new piece in this game and became stronger than I was before you jumped stupid-"

"Now!" A deeply aged voice yelled.

"What?"Atem hissed, turning to his right, just as the Vampire Hunters launched a full scale barrage of bullets at him.

The shadows that were consuming Jonouchi quickly pulled away from the low class vampire, leaving him unscathed, to go protect their master.

The Original vampire had no time to act himself, instead, his instincts had took care of his protection for magic coated the former Pharaoh and formed a impenetrable sphere around the pure blood vampire. Screams echoed throughout the ballroom, as the human guests ducked for cover with their vampires of fellow hunter protecting them from the the ricocheting bullets from the Original vampire's protective dome.

Yugi felt arms wrap around him as he was kneeling down and checking for any visible wounds on Jonouchi. Looking over his shoulder, he noticed it was Mahaad shielding his smaller form from the destructive power of the flying bullets.

"My Lord, keep your head down!" The Guardian commanded the human and used a hand to push Yugi down to the ground.

"Do what he says Yug'! Things are crazy, I'm going to check on Ryou and Malik. Stay with Mahaad!" Jou said in a winded voice, before getting on his hands and knees, keeping lower as he crawled away from Yugi.

Chaos. Pure Chaos was erupting at the Gathering and all because Atem. Yugi turned his head to the side to try and get a peek at the man he had abandoned on the stairs to save his best friend. Immediately Yugi's concern for the other living beings in the room when he spotted the solid black orb on the stairs that the hunter's were firing at. When the last bullet soared the the air and the Hunters began reloading their weapons for round two, Yugi felt a familiar mystic wind skim across his exposed face. Loud hissing filled the room and soon formed into a line of chanting gibberish.

While to the human it sounded nothing more than nonsense, the gasp from Mahaad was proof that the hissing chants was some much more than a slew of incoherent gibberish. Suddenly, the orb surrounding Atem finally burst, black shadow magic flying away from him in every direction with incredible speed and force, shattering all the glass in the room and knocking the unprepared to the ground. The room fell into an eerie silence following the blast, like a battlefield of defeat.

Yugi watched in both shock and fear, along with the rest of the occupants in the room, as Atem emerged from the shadow's protection completely unharmed with an stern and regal appearance.

The King of the Vampire race immediately spoke loud and clear in his lost language, as he made sure to face the terrified crowd and even gazed straight into the video cameras recording him. He paused briefly before resuming in Japanese.

"I am the am the son of Amun-Ra, the successor and offspring of the late Pharaoh and King of the Vampires, Akhenamkhanen of the Muran clan. I am the feared, the respected, the beloved. I am the purest of pure blood vampires, with the blood of the first vampire running strongly through my veins! I am the one who calls upon the darkness and overpowers it! I am the Lost Pharaoh, the rightful ruler of the vampire race, King of the Vampire Kingdom. I am the Original Vampire! I am Pharaoh Atem of the Muran clan. And I have returned from the depths of Hell to reclaim my throne and lead my Kingdom to peace and victory against the dark forces threatening it!"

The crowd was speechless as Atem repeated himself with same amount of energy each time, but in different languages. When he was finished, his eyes landed on Yami, anger clearly visible on his face. Before Atem could address his mate and subjugate Yami to his anger, Mahaad stood up, abandoning his duty to protect Yugi to address Atem, his friend, his king.

"My King!" Mahaad spoke up, breaking the silence of the room and all eyes fell on the priest in traditional white robes of his homeland, though tarnished by the recent events of the evening.

Atem's dark red eyes switched their attention to the Egyptian Priest addressing him. Instead of speaking, Atem raised his head high and stared down at Mahaad as is he was a bug on the ground. The priest thought nothing of it as he stepped his left foot forward, placed his right hand over his heart, before kneeling to the ground on one knee and bowing to the Original Vampire.

"Welcome back, my highness," Mahaad announced with fondness and a warm smile gracing his face as he kept his head bowed before lifting it up to meet Atem's stern gaze. "We have been awaiting your return for quite some time."

"My pr-aA!" Isis cried out in excitement, all but running to Mahad's side and assuming the same bowing position of her friend, but with her head down.

"Our Highness."

"Praise, the Original."

Karim and Shada joined their fellow fellow Sacred Guardians in greeting their king and expressing how they have missed his presence. Yugi stood to his feet and moved away from the Guardians unsure what to do. He looked around and notice several of the older Noble Vampires following the Guardian's example and bowing to Atem. Humans and younger vampires either stood or stayed on the ground in bewilderment or fear. Looking to Yami, Yugi started to walk to the man's side, but he froze in place as he watched Yami storm up the stairs at an inhuman speed towards Atem, screaming in anger.

Yami was so quick with his movements, no human knew the Prince had pulled a hidden dagger off his being, until Atem caught wrist of Yami's hand holding the dagger made of silver with a wooden grip. Atem twisted his mate's wrist and forced him to drop the dagger before kicking it away and down the steps of the staircase. Atem leaned in towards Yami, but the younger pure blood was quick and managed to free himself and put some distance between him and Atem before charging in for a second attack with his bare hands.

"You are not the king, you are not the Atem that lead this race before me! You are just but a shell! You have fallen and become corrupted by blood lust!" Yami spat out as he began an assault of punches and kicks, all aimed at Atem.

The Original dodged the attacks and countered with his own punches and jabs, which Yami also dodged. Their quarrel quickly became a dangerous brawl. "I have not! My lust is sedated, my eyes are mine, and I am of sane mind! It is you who has lost yourself!" Atem countered back as he landed a jab in Yami's stomach. The younger pure blood coughed and stumbled back, but quickly recovered before Atem could get his second attack to land.

"I have not! I am as sane as a being could possibly be after facing my own hell!"

"Exactly! Which means _you_ are not yourself! You have reverted into a being who - " Atem grunted as Yami landed a hook kick hard on his shoulder," - who is sheltered and scared!"

"I am not!" Yami roared as he charged and tackled the Original Vampire, sending them both over the side railing of the grand staircase and crashing into the marble floor below. "I have nothing left to fear, other than my kingdom's safety!"

The two continued to bicker back and forth while their fight began to move closer towards the other participants of the Gathering, becoming an unstoppable force of calamity. Yugi watched in horror as the two's fight began to become more dangerous and life threatening by the second. He knew he need to stop the two before ended up killing an innocent bystander, but how could her without getting himself killed in the process.

_"All on-duty hunters, fire on the target and the Prince on my command, then proceed to clear out all civilians." _

"Copy that." Yugi's head turned to stare at the hunter standing behind him with a worried eyes. Pegasus wasn't that stupid! He wouldn't risk creating full on war by taking Yami's life along with Atem's! Yugi steeled his nerves and turned his attention to the two fighting vampires. He would definitely deserved to die for what he was about to do next, but it would be for cost of saving many lives by preventing a war.

Taking a deep breath, the human charged at the two vampires without hesitation.

"Would you two stop fighting!" The young human snapped at the two vampires before he used his right shoulder the take the brunt of the impact as he tackled Yami to the ground.

Yugi wasted no time 'detaining' Yami as best as he could. There was only so much an unarmed human could do to a vampire, but Yugi did the best he could. The human placed arm on the back of Yami's neck and used his legs to Yami's thighs down. He used his free hand to hold on of Yami's arms down and placed all of his weight on the Vampire's neck, just as the IVHA had taught him to do when capturing a vampire.

"Damn it Yugi! Get off me, right now!"

"Hell no!" The human responded and pressed down harder on Yami's Neck. "I will not let you up until you act like you have some sense instead of like a child fighting over a toy!" Thank God Atem had worn Yami out some, or he would be having a much more difficult time at trying to keep Yami on the ground.

"Yugi, stay out of this!" Atem snapped at the human, already grabbing his jacket to pull him off of Yami. "This is not your place to be interfering!"

Yugi panicked for a moment as he felt Atem lift up his body. However, with quick thinking, the normal non-violent and kind human did the unthinkable. He released Yami's arm in favor to punch the Original vampire right in the groin as hard as he could manage with no mercy.

Atem immediately released Yugi and cringed as his lower part swelled up with pain. He fell to his knees with his legs pressed together, trying to soothe his pain. Even though his privates were throbbing and potentially receding back into his abdomen from Yugi's actions, it didn't stop Atem from unleashing his anger on to the human.

Grabbing Yugi by the collar of his dress shirt, Atem pulled the boy half off of Yami, to stare him directly in the eyes. " I. Am. Going. To. Kill. You!" The Original vampire growled out through bared fangs.

"Let go of my feeder!" Yami demanded as he rolled over and hooked his arms around Yugi's waist and began trying to pull the human free from Atem's grasp.

"I will not! He will learn his place-"

"I'll make you let go, even if I have to tear of your hands- "

"Would you both quit fighting!" Yugi yelled out in frustration, before using his hands to try and pry Atem's from his shirt, and his legs to push Yami away from him. " Stop and act like the adults you are!" The human struggled between the the two, trying to get free. " I am seriously tired of sitting here listening to the two of you degrade each other and acting like kids. Yami you need to grow up and stop shutting out reality. And Atem, you need to stop being so over dramatic about everything! This is going too far!"

Both the pure blood vampires released the human with two separate looks of shock. One the look of a grand fuck up, the other a look of a new and disturbing discovery.

Yugi panted heavily and stood up, glaring down at the two men on the dented ground. "The next time you get in a brawl think before you throw your fist! There are innocent bystanders and hunters around! You could have injured someone or even been killed. Then what? I would have failed as a feeder before I even finished my first full day as one!"

"You know...him?" Yami questioned, his voice expressing his shock as he stood up slow. "You know him!?" He repeated, pointing a finger at Atem.

Yugi froze and his face became a pale white. And it was at that moment, that Yugi Mutou knew he had fucked up.

"I...I…"The human couldn't find words to say, his mind went blank as he gazed at Yami's hurt and anger face. Fearful whispers and angry chatter filled his ears from the people around him.

_**"D-Does he have connections with that monster claiming to be the king?"**_

_**"That damn human! He tricked the Prince into making him his feeder so he could overthrow him!"**_

_**"The royal feeder is a traitor! Just like the murder he looks like, I see."**_

"Yami, I-"

"I compelled him to take care of me," Atem cut Yugi off and answered Yami firmly, as he placed his hands on the young boy's shoulders.

"Before the two of you met, I managed to compel him when he was passing near the estate as a last ditched effort to save myself from starvation. I had him feed me both human and animal blood, clean me, and then I eventually had him lift the seal placed on me. After that, I compelled him to hide me in his home, and even took up a false identity until I regained my strength be feeding from around the same time as you had, forcibly of course. He has no idea he was under my influence the entire time, until now. Isn't that right, Yugi Mutou?" Atem gripped Yugi's shoulder tight as the human looked up at him completely stunned.

"I…"Yugi's eyes began to water and his voice started to crack. "You used compulsion on me this entire time?"

The human was in disbelief. Atem had truly done such a thing to him. The man had once told him that he only used Yugi to gain his attention so someone would notice him and help. He hadn't actually thought Atem had used him. But...it did explain why he had been so comfortable in spilling out his heart to the male, why he had spent so much time caring for the man, why he pitted him, why he saved him, Why he enjoyed being around the vampire, why he missed Atem, why… he even started to develop some sort of feelings for the man.

"Yugi -"

The human promptly removed himself from Atem's side and moved to Yami's. "No. You've said enough."

Yugi cover his eyes with hand to block the world from his vision. He failed. He failed at protect himself and was used without the slightest clue. If he was compelled so easily by Atem, was it possible others had done the same? _'__Hell, how am I even sure Jonouchi is my real friend-'_

_'I'm partially lying, Yugi. We cannot afford the humans turning on you, so in modern terms, I believe I am ' saving/ covering your ass.' There's no need to worry. Yami is still ...adamant, you actually fought against Ushio willingly, you dated Tea for her personality, and Katasya Jonouchi is the human-turned vampire friend you've had since your childhood.'_

Yugi slid his hand down his face, to look at Atem. _'__You didn't completely compel me and use me this entire time?' _

'_No, I didn't compel your mind for these past few weeks. I shall clarify everything to you and Yami in private, once I clean this situation-'_

Both Atem and Yugi's mental conversation was cut off by Yami speaking the same foreign language of Atem's native tongue, but repeating the same word. The former Pharaoh's face went from an unemotional poker face, to one of instant regret as he looked away from the vampire standing next to Yugi. Atem said nothing, and it caused Yami to shake with anger.

The Prince spoke again, this time it was in perfect Japanese. "You reached out for help from a human thousands of years after you were taken from me, but couldn't reach out for me through our bond!?"

Atem's face scrunched up in pain and his body went rigid as Yami's voice questioned him with raw emotion in it. Taking a deep breath, Atem turned and face Yami, his eyes were moist from hidden feelings.

"I tried," The king's voice was soft and confident, but if was the voice of a broken man. "I tried so many times, I spoke to you everyday, watched the world through your eyes, tried to comfort you when you were unable to bare my loss. I was there! I called for you! I cried for you! I begged for you!" Atem's regal appearance crumbled as his he switched languages to his native tongue and poured his feelings, thoughts, and emotions out to his mate.

Yugi watched as Yami's anger visibly diminished and instead he grew upset with grief and pulled at his hair with both of his hands and shielding his face from view with his arms. "I don't know! I can't understand what you're saying! I can only make out a few words, but I don't know what you're saying anymore!"

Atem's sighed softly, before grabbing Yami's right arm and pulling his pure blood vampire Prince into a close embrace. Yugi watched Yami relax into Atem's arms and the small rapid movement of his shoulders. Yami didn't return Atem's embrace, only merely accepting the small gesture of comfort as he was held by a person he had once thought to be dead.

The former Pharaoh, being slightly taller than his mate, pressed part of his face into Yami's hair as he took in his mate's scent, warmth, and sorrow. Red eyes glanced at Yugi, who was watching both Atem and Yami with a sad expression the king spoke no words to the human, but did raise his head and nodded for Yugi to fetch Mahaad.

Yugi nodded his head and left Atem and Yami o go retrieve the guardian, who was currently speaking with the one and only, Maximillion Pegasus. "Sir, I assure the situation is under our control. There is no need to resort to-"

Yugi tugged on part of Mahad's robe, to gain the priest's attention. "Excuse me Mahaad, but Your presences is being requested by the King of Vampires." Yugi kindly interrupted the conversation he was having with Director Pegasus.

"Very well, I will go to him once I have finished up here," The priest responded before turning to resume his conversation. "As I saying-"

Yugi tugged on Mahaad's robe again, "He wants you now, I'll finish up here for you."

"My lord this is a political issue, not some childish conversation-"

"Now, Priest Mahaad. I'm well aware of the situation, and I know Director Pegasus personally. I finish calming the situation so that you may attend to the ...King and his Prince," Yugi firmly told the priest with a soft smile. "If you disobey, I'm sure things will only become worse, and I'm not sure if I can tame the two again."

Priest Mahaad sighed through his nose, but said nothing as her turned to face Director Pegasus. "I will have to take my leave now, but Lord Mutou, his highness' Royal Feeder, will resume our conversation in my place. Please, forgive this….predicament."

"I'll pay no mind to it, Priest. I am honored to be able to speak directly to the Royal feeder, now please, do got tend to the King and the Prince before my men and I have to get involved...physically," Pegasus replied his normal joyful tone, but with a sly smile plastered on his face. A look Yugi knew only meant trouble.

"Very well, I shall take my leave," Mahaad nodded his head to the hunter, before turning and heading to Atem and Yami, not once looking back to check on Yugi.

For the first solid minute, neither Pegasus nor Yugi spoke to each other. Yugi's smile had faded and his eyes had softened to a look of guilt as he refused to stare at Director Pegasus. He was fearful what the man was going to say to him.

"My sweet child," Yugi finally looked up at the leader of the International Vampire Hunter Association, his violet eyes meeting the single sorrow filled eye that belonged to Pegasus. "I fear I may have only caused the end of your life to happen earlier, rather than do good to for it."

Yugi looked at the director shock, but quickly concealed it with an innocent laugh. He couldn't reveal his mission. "What do you mean, Director Pegasus? This was just an act of fate in which we must deal with and care for," Playing the dumb card was not Yugi's best trick, but hopefully it would impress the Director enough for him to win this little game.

"Oh, nothing I was just speaking to myself, you can ignore me. However, we cannot ignore this issue. I'm afraid this little stunt you were involved with has become a problematic issue," The director clarified to Yugi, his tone losing it's joy and becoming stern as the fearful leader of the IVHA began to show his true colors to Yugi. " If that man is indeed the true ruler of the Vampire race and their 'Lost King', then I am afraid this will nullify the agreement to continue the hiatus between our conflicting sides. We would either have to resign new documentation with the King's signature agreeing to our hiatus terms, or our will will no longer be a 'peaceful' one and blood will be shed once more."

Yugi kept himself composed and suppressed his growing fear. His training with Otogi prepared him for situations such as this, and Atem had told all he need to know about his reclaiming the throne, that he could formulate a strong answer. He could win, and he would win for the protection of his friends.

"Director, once it has been officially confirmed that Atem Muran is indeed the rightful King of the Vampire Kingdom, we will hold a coronation to formally introduce him as king. Following that, we will contact you to resign the Gathering documents, but until then, the documentation which you signed this evening is still valid as Prince Yami is still acting ruler of the Vampire Kingdom until the throne has been successfully transferred over to Atem Muran, that is, if he is indeed the 'Lost King' as you so claim."

Yugi was firm with his answers, not leaving an inch of space for Pegasus to argue with his reasoning. This was a game and the young human was determined to not let his opponent even see his victory.

"Very well, I will be expecting a formal detailed letter in the near future explaining the current situation. I am not pleased such a thing as a dangerous and potentially rogue intruder was even allowed into the- "

"Allow me to stop you there, Director. I am just as displease, if not more that this entire situation even occurred, however, as Royal Feeder to Prince Yami, I refuse to allow you to belittle the Vampire Kingdom and place the blame on us solely, when your men were just as responsible for this."

"My men are only mortal, they can only do so much. How do you expect them to defeat an Original vampire?" Pegasus countered and gave Yugi a challenging smirk.

Yugi remained silent, and glared at his superior- former superior, with pure annoyance. " I'm sorry if your men do not have the bravery to put their life on the line for others. If they do not know the weakness of a man, any man regardless of race, than they are incompetent as a hunter and as a protector."

"Bravery? Don't you mean stupidity?" Pegasus taunted and leaned down to press his face against Yugi, trying to pressure the younger male into cracking. " Because what I witness was a boy rushing into a war zone with no weapons, no armor, and no plan. Just pure luck and stupidity. An inexperienced and clumsy child. "

Pegasus backed away and stood to his full height, smiling confidently as he observed. Yugi's blood was boiling with his frustration. He opened his mouth only for him to be silence before he could even speak, by Atem.

"I'm sorry to be interrupting, but Yugi Mutou will be leaving upon request of Prince Yami Sennen, " Atem spoke in a stern tone and quickly took Yugi's hand in his own, his dark red eyes glued to Pegasus' body.

"Oh? And I'm just suppose to let the beloved Royal Feeder runaway with a party-crasher, such as yourself? A silly little ant trying to play King? I think not," The head hunter proclaimed as he stood his ground, a head already positioned over his concealed stake.

Yugi took in a deep breath as did Atem, both suppressing their anger. Yugi was doing a better job than the former Pharaoh, and the humans both realized the fact when the flickering forms a the shadows produced by both Atem and Yugi, began to act like black flat fires licking at the ground.

"Hit a nerve did I, oh righteous king?"

Atem said nothing and only glared at the man before turning his back on the hunter and pulled Yugi away from Pegasus as he retreated from the chaotic ballroom that was already beginning to clear from occupants. "We're leaving, Yugi."

Yugi gave one last fleeing glare to Pegasus before turning around fully and willingly walked next to the powerful and agitated vampire.

As they walked away, Yugi spotted his friends. The human's anger vanished the moment he saw them and the Human was tempted to stray away from Atem to join the, however the thought soon died when he spotted their looks.

Ryou and Malik were with their vampires Bakura and Marik. Ryou looked completely terrified, like he was on the verge of an anxiety attack as he stared at Yugi, hiding behind Bakura and holding on for moral support while his vampire remain emotionless. Malik was the opposite of Ryou. His glare directed at Yugi was pure anger. Hell, he was even being held back by both of his vampire's hands. Then there was Jonouchi. He refused to look at Yugi. He had his back to his tri-colored hair friend as he spoke with Seto Kaiba and hand a firm grip on one of Mokuba Kaiba's shoulders. Yugi looked away, disappointed in himself as he left the ruined Gathering with Atem .

"They're pretty upset with me, my friends that is."

"They will forgive you later, but for now we have more... Pressing issues to focus on," Atem answered the human and led Yugi through the grand castle like resort, as if he knew the entire layout of the building.

"What's more important than my friends?" The human asked, his brows furrowed as he tried to understand the monarch.

"Yami. For now he is a sleep after some tough encouragement, but we will have to fully explain and call him down once he awakens. There's also the matter of completing our feeding bond tonight," Atem's voice was flat and void of all emotion. It terrified the human. This was one side he hadn't seen from the vampire, he had seen Atem happy, confused, sad, and even mad. But never had the man been completely void of emotion, except their first night when he was released from the seal. Yugi didn't say anything as he allowed Atem lead him to the boat the would be using to leave the island. As they made their way to their transport, Yugi dreaded every step of the way.

"This is going to be tough," The human mumbled softly to himself and held on to Atem's hand tighter.

"I owe it to Yami to tell him the entire story. He waited thousands of years for me, it's only natural that I give him my side of the story... and yours, " The vampire replied calmly, his voice expressing some of his concern for the situation. " I will tell you both about my discoveries from these past few days alone, and what we will be facing in the near future. I fear that we may have a long journey before us in the coming days. A long and tortuous one."

* * *

The boat ride was uneventful and for the most part Atem and the Sacred Guardians reacquainted with one another. Yugi had sat with the unconscious Yami leaning against his body as the man slept unwillingly. Apparently Atem had requested Mahaad to cast a simple slumber spell on Yami to keep the male from acting irrationally again. Although Yugi knew he would be given hell for this later, along with Atem and especially Mahaad, he had been content with watching the vampire's sleeping face and listening to Atem reunite with his friends a learn about the lives they had lived after he was sealed away.

The car ride after that though, was completely silent. The Sacred Guardians had went their separate ways in different cars, other than Karim who had drove them in the same limousine from earlier in the day, to the location Yami had picked out for he and Yugi to stay until when they would return to Domino City. Atem had held the sleeping Yami in his lap the entire ride to their resting location. Yugi didn't speak as he watched with a soft smile as Atem fondly watched of his spell-induced sleeping mate. Although Yugi wasn't certain what Yami's feelings for Atem was, the human certainly knew that Atem was madly in love with the Prince from the way he simply gazed at the sleeping Yami. If Yugi had to guess, Atem was spending their car ride back just admiring his mate and familiarizing himself with Yami's looks and scent.

When they final arrived at their destination, Yugi noticed a quick change in Atem . The man became his regal self again as Yugi exited the car and the vampire followed after him while carrying a snoring Yami. Outside of the car, the trio had arrived at luxurious and secluded beach house. Yugi gave Karim a questionable look, who only laughed and proceeded to lead the human to the front door and simply pushed the front door open to allow Yugi to enter. The human proceeded into the house with caution, but as he took in his surroundings, Yugi quickly became amazed at the home's decor.

The home was completely modernized with all the latest upgrades and high-end finishes. As Yugi began exploring the home, he notice all the walls were painted with a soft sandy beige but then entire home was accented with beach themed decorations, along with a several different shades of blues and greens to compliment the overall beach theme. Yugi felt spoiled. He had seen the inside of the Kaiba mansion once or twice in his life, which was the only place Yugi could compare this miniature palace too. The fact he would be staying in such a beautiful house for the night, made the human feel blessed.

Yugi was exploring the living room amenities, specifically admiring the beautiful beach front view the floor-to-ceiling windows offered, when Atem entered the room and gently laid Yami on the massive navy blue couch. Turning his attention away from the beach, Yugi joined Atem on the smaller navy blue love-seat in the living room.

"So how long will he be out?" Yugi asked the Original vampire casually as he gazed at the sleeping form of the slumbering Yami. Yugi smiled happily as he watched the adorable sleeping form that belonged to Yami Sennen; eyes closed peacefully, lightly snoring, and his mouth hanging wide open. It was quite the amusing sight to the human.

"I'm not sure. Mahaad never gave me a specific time, he just knocked him out," Atem spoke as he slouched back in the couch and threw an arm over his eyes. "Just let him sleep for a while, he probably needs it. I also need to sort out my own thoughts before I...make him relive our personal hell."

"All right," Yugi agreed and toed off his dress shoes and stood up to go place them by the door properly.

When he returned, the human found the Egyptian hunched over with his head in his hands. Yugi stood in the at the entryway for a moment, leaning against the wall as he watched the king attempt to carry his heavy burden without being crushed by it. Yugi pitied him. Although Atem was thousands of years old now, he was just around Yugi's age when his world collapsed on him without warning .

The human sighed softly and made his way back over to the love-seat and reclaimed his spot next to Atem. The poor guy looked like he needed a distraction from his thoughts. "Hey, how come you said Yami needed sleep? I thought Vampires didn't have to sleep."

Atem lifted his head from his hands and gave Yugi a look of confusion. "Why would you think that? It is common knowledge, all living beings need to sleep other than vegetation."

"Common knowledge? But all the books my grandfather had on vampire behaviors, said that Vampires did not need to sleep."

Atem snorted and leaned into the backrest of the couch again. "I've read those books your grandfather has collected, they are on the generic breed, humans that have been turned into a vampire, not a pure blood."

Yugi gave Atem a baffled look before smiling as he folded his legs underneath him to make himself more comfortable on the couch. "Can you tell me the difference then?"

Atem was silent as he gazed up at the white ceilings of the luxurious home before sighing and turning his head lazily to the right to gaze at the smiling Yugi. "If you insist," The vampire answered, smiling back at the human, before looking up at the ceiling again.

" The vampire race is very...finicky when it comes to our different...breeds, you could call them. We have three different categories; human-born, mixed, and pure bloods. Human born vampires are just that. Vampires that were created from a human being turned by a pure blood. Back in my generation, they weren't as abundant as they are now, and were treated as lower beings, even lower than humans. Scum of the earth, as my grandfather once called them. However, they are your stereotypical vampire and at the bottom of our hierarchy. The human blood that flows through their veins from their past life gives the the perks such as not having to sleep, not having to breath for a long period of times, and of course their super strength. But they burn in the sunlight more easily than the rest of our kind, they can't handle large amounts of garlic, a large desire thirst for human blood, and have the hardest time blending into society. Their lives are also significantly shorter than pure bloods and mixes. Once their human bloods runs dry, which is typically with in ten or so years, they dry up and turn into ash. Only if the turned vampire consumes the blood of the pure blood on a weekly basis, then will they live a life of longevity."

Atem paused to turn sideways, and lean his head against the couch's backrest as he gazed at the intrigued Yugi. The look Yugi possessed and when the boy said "Tell me about the other vampires," reminded Atem so much of Heba when he had first educated his former feeder about his kind. Though it wasn't nearly as calm of peaceful.

"Mixed bloods, are the most complicated. They are the product of a human-born vampire and a pure blood either copulating, you a transformed Human-born that consumed an enormous amount of blood for a pure blood only need to sleep once or twice every few months to stay healthy and animal blood can sedate their thirst just as well as human blood can. Mysterious lot they are. The have some powers of the pure blood, but it varies case by case. They can also be very, and I mean, very mood beings. With their blood being mixed, it causes hormonal imbalances during different moon phases, similar to the female menstrual cycle human females experience." Atem chuckled when Yugi had a sudden look of bewilderment on his face. "What's the matter Yugi? Do you know a vampire who's mixed blood without realizing it?"

The human nodded,"Yeah, I think I do. Jonouchi, the um.. The vampire your shadow magic attempted to eat. He's moody every now and then like you described."

"He maybe one then. If he's older than a year and stuck around his 'maker', then he could be a mix. Pure bloods who intentionally turn humans into vampires convert them into mixed bloods. Typically takes six to thirteen months. A long and frustrating process, but it can be done."

Yugi hummed and nodded his head as he closed his eyes in thought. "I 'll have to ask him about it later, once… things have calmed down."

Atem hummed as well before lightly poking Yugi's left thigh. "Do you wish for me to continue?"

The human nodded eagerly at Atem and poked the vampire's own leg back. "I do. I enjoy learning more about your kind. It might help me in the future."

Atem chuckled , "If you say so." He poked Yugi's thigh again and gave the boy a mischievous look before continuing on with his lecture about the different types of vampires.

"Pure bloods are the strongest of vampire kinds. Once there were many of us, but wars and sickness have dwindled out numbers over time and now our blood is the least common among vampires, but the most respected. There is two types of pure bloods, the Originals and then the Noble. The Nobles are descendants of the Originals, they have little to no traces of human DNA in their blood. They are the second strongest and the one that govern the lower class vampires. They have the ability to turn humans into vampires. The can compel other vampires depending on their mental strength, and can heal the bite marks of those they feed from or bite. Each pure blood has their own specialty. Be it magic, speed, strength, ect. It is unique to them and can be very lethal. They must feed every one to two weeks from a human or animal blood daily, but it is not satisfying to also have to sleep at least three times a week to stay healthy."

"I think I understand now, but I'm curious. What's Yami's specialty?" Yugi asked atem as he toyed with the royal pin on his suit jacket.

"Strength. Yami's specialty is having strength that is strong than most pure bloods. He even gives me a challenge. He is proud of it, well, he used be," Atem chuckled and ruffled Yugi's hair lightly. "Try not to bet against him in an arm-wrestle or a fight, always bet on him."

Yugi rolled his eyes, "I don't gamble, but thank's for the advice old man."

Atem grumbled under his voice and huffed before continuing with his lecture.

" The Originals, well, myself, are from the founding bloodline of the vampires. We have no traces of human dna in our blood and we are unable to die by age alone. We share the same traits as the Nobles, but with some that are unique to us alone. We are the most powerful of our race, but also the ones that has the most burdens. We have to consume blood of humans weekly, or consume animal blood daily. Whe have to sleep at least three times a week to maintain a healthy lifestyle, ….and our blood is cursed. Only two originals can live at a time. Often they are mates or a parent and a child. We have required the form of the first vampire, which… is something you will never see. We are fated to Rule over the vampire race and always will. We have the power to completely bend anyone to our will, even if their mind and soul completely rejects us. Our blood is also… addicting to both humans and vampires. If not limited, it create problems and cause both vampires and humans to turn into monsters who have completely lost themselves, these creatures… are imperfect Originals. If not given the blessing by both of the Current living Originals to become a third or a fourth, then then they become slaves to our will and become incompetent as intelligent beings. Also, if you have notice by now, our specialty is the dark magic of shadows. Wicked and vile, we have to limit our use of it or else we could be consumed by our very own tools."

"D-Devour!?" Yugi's voice squeaked loudly in shock as he leaned pressed his nose against Atem's "If it's so bad, why do you even use it?"

The Original sighed as he placed both hands on the sides of Yugi's face and gently pushed the human away to give himself some personal space. "I have a countermeasure my father created and spent his final days perfecting, so it is fine Yugi."

"But-"

Atem narrowed his eyes at the human and pushed his palms inward to squish Yugi's face, causing his lips to pucker out like a fish. The King snicker and released the human with his lips tugged into fond smile. " I truly appreciation your concern, but human like yourself does not have to worry about someone like me. You are merely wasting your energy."

Yugi punched Atem's shoulder lightly for that comment, not finding it amusing. "Not true. It's not a waste of energy to worry about the well being of my friends."

"You consider me as a friend? But earlier we said you would not," Atem inquired, looking at Yugi puzzled.

"I said I would consider you my friend if I survived the Gathering, if I recall. I never claimed that 'wouldn't', because if I had died, than it would be possible for me to be your friend, now would it?" The human answered with a smug grin on his face. "Were you, the Great King of the Vampires, scared of not being able to befriend a mere human such as I?"

Atem rolled his eyes at Yugi. "You are such a strange human."

Yugi huffed playfully and crossed his arms over his chest. "Again with that? How many times must I tell you that I'm not strange?"

Atem hummed and made himself appear deep in thought before giving the human his answer. "You will always have to remind me, even up until your last breath." The former pharaoh flashed a warm smile.

Yugi's cheeks became flushed with a soft red and he looked away flattered. "Y-Yeah, I guess I will, won't I?" He chuckled softly, feeling overwhelmed as he stole a glance at the vampire, who was still smiling so warmly.

Was Atem's smile always this radiant? Or was it because he was finally being able to piece his life together and form some sort of familiar normalcy in his life? Whatever the reason, Yugi hoped the reason would stay so he could see his friend continue to smile beautifully. It made the human feel warm and proud to be by Atem's side. It was… nice.

A groan brought Yugi back to reality and his attention turned to the larger couch where Yami laid. The human stood up when he spotted movement from the pure blood vampire and quickly went to his side to check on him. Although he and the other didn't get along much, Yami was still 'his' vampire. Something that still struck a wrong note inside Yugi's heart.

"Hey, " Yugi spoke softly as he knelt by Yami and placed a gentle hand on Yami's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Groggily, Yami rolled over onto his side to look Yugi with a drowsy gaze. He didn't say anything at first, but the vampire eventually gave him a nod. "Yeah."

Yami pushed himself into a sitting position and used his hand to rub the sleep from his eyes. Yugi sighed in relief the vampire seemed fine and stood from his knelt position and stretched his arms above his head. "That's a relief!"

"Mm," Yami hummed in acknowledgement, his mind still foggy from his forced sleep. Looking around, the vampire quickly became puzzled by how he ended up in the rental home he was renting out. When Yami began to try and remember how he ended up on the couch of his rental house, the events from the Gather flooded into his mind and vampire's sleep was washed away by his intense mixed emotions.

Red eyes scanned the living room, until Yami spotted his target lounging on the loveseat to his right. The pure blood vampire emitted a low growl. So his mind hadn't been fooling him, Atem had returned.

"You!" Yami barked at the other vampire in the home and sprang to his feet. "Explain yourself, right now before I tear off your limbs!"

"Yami," Yugi stepped in front of the vampire, speaking gently.

"It is all right Yugi, he has every right to be mad at me, and as do I," Atem spoke casually, but his own red eyes were narrowed as he observed his mate carefully. "However, I will put my own anger to rest so we can peacefully settle this feud of ours and move on with our lives."

Yami bared his fangs at Atem, annoyed by how casual his former lover was acting. He disliked this side of Atem. The side were the older male always acted so calm and reasonable when Yami knew damn well that the other was just as furious as he was. He hated how the other male suppressed his emotions and hid his thoughts behind a placid expression and a plain voice. It sickened him.

However, Yami refused to be the lower being and throw a tantrum at the uninterested male. Instead, The vampire seat back down on the couch and glared at Atem with eyes full of hatred. "Is this part of your grand scheme? First you manipulate my feeder, then embarrass me infront of the entire kingdom, make false claims about how you had actually were with me when you were sealed, and now you want to act like an adult? I'm afraid to tell to your time for being mature and owning up to your own misdeeds, has passed."

Yugi bit his bottom lips as Atem refuse to speak. Deciding it was wiser to not sit with either of the two, Yugi took a seat on the floor in between the two, just incase things turned bad. He kept quiet and only observed the two's interactions.

"I agree, if I were to apologize now to you, it would only fall on deaf ears. You are still too daft to even allow me to explain myself," Atem challenged his mate and turned his head away from the other out bitterness.

Yami's eye twitched from his frustration and he took a sharp inhale through his nose as he glared at the Original vampire with no fear. "How am I supposed to forgive you when you tried to kill me only a few weeks ago?! How do you expect me to just accept an empty apology without an explanation for why you forced my heart to start? Do you understand how much it hurt? Not the physical pain, but having the bare witness to the one person you truly loved with all of your soul and entire being, try to kill you over a petty-"

"I was not going to kill you!" Atem interject, raising his voice suddenly. His outburst startled Yugi, even though the human knew it was coming after the way Yami disrespected him.

Atem stood from his seat and began pacing back and forth while trying to keep himself calm. " I needed to removed my blood from your system before you became endangered! That was the only way at time, given that I was nothing but a bag of bones and skin! I will admit I went the wrong way about it and for that, I will apologize to you, but do not play the pity card on me, Yami Sennen!" Atem's pacing stopped as he turned to make full eye contact with his mate. "Unlike others, I know the real you. I know how strong you are and what you are capable of. And I refuse to pity you! I refuse to be one of the people to look down on you as someone who is so pathetic that he ended up losing not only his life, but both of his lovers, his kingdom. Everything that I had work so damn hard for!"

Atem was breathing hard, his hand curling and uncurling into fists by his sides. His face was red from his anger towards his mate, but his expression was that of agony as he glared at the paler vampire. " I played my cards wrong, okay? I fucked up and allowed you to become hurt beyond my imagination. I made a huge mistake. I am not here to ask or beg for you forgiveness, Yami. I am well aware that you hate me, and I am too bitter at myself to allow you to forgive me. I only want to give you the truth of what happened. It is… the least I can do. So, will you allow me to justify my actions and speak the truth to you? "

Atem's body was trembling and rigid as he patiently wait for Yami to respond to him. Yugi felt his heart pound in his chest as he allowed his gaze to switch back and forth between the two lovers. Yami's face was still in an angry scowl, but his read eyes had darkened in color and his glared had softened as he took in the desperate man standing in front of him. Yami closed his eyes and sighed through his nose before opening them again and gazing at the monarch with a soften glare. " You have an hour, and that is it."

Atem only nodded and reverted back to hiding his emotions from both Yami and Yugi. Although Yugi was sure the man was thrilled by the other's reaction, just like he was.

"The night I was sealed, I sensed a second Original, " Atem did not hesitate in telling his story to his mate, nor did he plan on leaving out any detail as final spoke about his nightmarish past.

"Sodpet had lowered and I was at my weakest. It was during the late afternoon that I had sensed if after I passed a peculiar person. I had originally planned to stop and question their power, but the Sacred Guardians had ushered me away to the public service for the day. Later, I requested guards to search for him, but they came up empty handed. Later, while meeting with the noble pure blood house leaders, I was confronted about my feeding habits and was told that I needed to drink from humans directly and that I should consider relinquishing my claim on Heba and drink from only virtuous humans," Atem paused with a sigh and a shake of his head before continuing. "Needless to say, I excused myself from their lunatic and deranged thinking to go rest in my personal chambers. It was while on my way back to my chambers that I felt the presence again. The unmistakable feeling of a nearby Original. Even the shadows had become restless as I was. It felt as if he was watching me, waiting for when I was at my absolute weakest, when I was off guard."

"When you comforted me while I was wrestling my thoughts that evening Yami, I could not bring myself to tell you of my suspensions of the Original I felt lurking in my shadows. I was fearful that I would be putting you in danger and I could bare the idea of someone attacking you because of my foolishness. So, I kept it from you and sent you off to go draw me a bath while I tried to calm my nerves before you noticed how uneasy I was. When you left, the other Original's powers grew more intense. It was nothing like my father's or even my own. It was sinister, so twisted I believed that it was the devil rather than my kin stalking me from the shadows. When I was sure you were busy with the bath, I called out to them. Daring that they come and face me."

Atem stopped speaking and took a seat on the love-seat, taking a few deep breaths and holding his head in his hands. After a few minutes of the King taking steady breaths to calm himself, he spoke up.

"Heba entered a few moments after and I didn't think much of it. He handed my the goblet of his blood as usual and sat it down on a nearby table so I could make conversation with him, but he was not himself. He refused to look at me, answered shortly and politely. He was obedient for once and it worried me. I embraced him, thinking that he had a bad day while he worked with the other servants and needed comfort. I forgot about the other Original, only focused on consoling him and trying to restore Heba back to his normal self. And without warning, Heba stabbed a silver dagger through my chest. It was my own sheer stupidity that I didn't see through the trick."

"The wound is gone, but I can still feel the burning sensation of it in my chest," Atem clenched his dress shirt tightly over the spot where he was stabbed. " I pushed him away and fell to my knees, I knock Heba into the limestone wall and he became dazed. I tried to remove the weapon from my body, but the hilt was made of silver and burned my hand when I tried to pull it free. Then he showed himself, the Original I had felt. He appeared out of the shadows from beneath our bed. He….He had been a man I trusted with my life, but he betrayed me and stole the blood of my late father to transform himself! He taunted me with threats of killing you, torturing you slowly until you spirit was broke and your body was dried from all blood. I fought him, or at least tried, but Heba came too and came between us. That man… he poisoned him, Yami. Heba had once been a good soul, but even without being compelled that man was able to manipulate him. However, he had compelled him into grabbing the dagger in my chest and reciting ancient black magic. No matter how hard I pushed him, or how loud I yelled at him, Heba wouldn't let go or stop chanting. The only option I had to save myself… was to kill him before he could finish the spell. But even if I had, that man you have finished it himself. If he had, well, I wouldn't be here today, " Atem chuckled darkly.

" It was agonizing, my entire body felt like it had been thrown into Hell. I tried everything but killing Heba. I just couldn't bring myself to murder him. When it was over couldn't do anything. I couldn't move my body and had bare the witness as that demon drank from my feeder, abused my body, and then watched as he fake to be an ally. I was so furious that I had forgotten all about our bath until you came rushing to my side. I remember your crying face so vividly in my mind that it haunted me every passing while I was under the curse and still haunts me when I close my eyes. It's the lasting I saw before my sight was stolen from me. I asked for Heba when you reached me, because I was worried that the demon would use him to go after you next. But my throat grew tight, " Atem's hand loved from his chest to his throat and he wrapped his fingers around it gently. " _'Yami, I love you. Run before he comes after my blood.'_ I wanted to tell you that, but I barely even managed to get your name out. Immediately I tried calling to you through our bond. I could feel your anguish and I tried to soothe it, but my connection to you had been blocked. I could feel you, see the world in your eyes, hear your thoughts… and everyday I tried to let you hear mine, to let you feel that I was still here. I know that you went through a hard time. You and the Sacred Guardians took care of me. You slept with me, feed me, kept me clean. But it all stopped shortly after you relocated here, to Japan. I learned languages with you, experienced new cultures and gained a vast amount of knowledge until..."

Atem went silent and his breathing stopped. The room was silent other than the soft sound of the distant ocean as both Yami and Yugi tried to understand Atem's pain and just how much he had suffered.

"Priest Seth convinced me that is was time to lay you to rest," Yami spoke up in place of Atem, catching the King off guard. But Yami didn't stop there, he kept going with his side.

"I didn't want to, but the other the Guardian assumed it was for the best as the world became more violent and unpredictable. At first it was a golden Sarcophagus with no lid and we bathed you in blood every day, but when that didn't help, I became desperate. Seth found the first scientist, who then introduced me to Solomon Mutou back when he was a researcher for the Vampire Hunters. He only accepted it for the money, but he did end up growing to care about you, Atem. He passed the role to his Son and his wife later on when he retired from being a hunter. They originally weren't apart of the association by they joined to gain more materials to use for research while trying to find away to break your seal, but they ended up dying in combat later one and then… Seth said that it was hopeless and...you could break the seal yourself if you wanted to. " Yami's tone grew colder and he glared at Atem. "Is it true? Could you have broken the seal yourself without the help from others?!"

Atem was silent and his bowed head kept his face hidden from both Yami and Yugi from seeing his reaction. The human slid closer to the former Pharaoh, worried about the other's mental state, but also curious if Yami's words were true. "Is what Yami said true, Atem? Could you have broken the seal yourself?"

The Pharaoh was quiet, but stood from his seat to once again start pacing. "Yes and no. Had the dagger not been silver I could have easily freed myself within a day's time. But that man thought of everything, except Heba having a living family who would go one to reproduce and and pass on his blood from one generation to the next." Atem answered, his voice monotone but the flickering shadows of the room was proof of the man's unspoken rage.

"Continuing from where you left off, " Atem leaned against a nearby wall, crossing his arms over his chest. "I was cut off from your thoughts and could only feel your emotions. I was left in completely silence and darkness. If the human researchers you hired hadn't talked to me and acted like I was there, living and speak back to them, then I might have went insane. They spoke to me about you when I could no longer reach out to you myself. They helped me regain strength, kept me sane with idle chattering, and discovered a way for me to be reunited with you. ."

"Ten years ago, the woman approached me , alone. She told me that she had discovered that her husband's bloodline was linked to Heba's and if her husband attempted to pull out the dagger embedded in my chest, then I would could return to you. She then informed me that she and her husband were being sent away and it could be for a while, and she wanted to ask two favors of me. She wanted me to watch over her child and," Atem pause his dark red eyes shifting colors to their natural warm crimson as he gaze solely at Yami, who met Atem's gaze with no fear. "She wanted me to forgive you. Apparently she witnessed you being overly affectionate with Priest Seth and asked if I could not hold it against you. After that she joked some, fed me blood before leaving. That was the last day of peach I had until Yugi came to me. I was in hell, my throat burned with thirst and my lungs ached from inhaling powdered Wolfsbane. I am sure you are aware how the rest of my days went, given how well my uncle was at his job as my caretaker," Atem concluded, his face was serious as he watched Yami for his reaction.

While Yami kept silent, thinking over Atem's story and trying to be the uncaring and angry man he had been earlier, Yugi was an emotional mess.

He knew his parents and grandparents had helped Yami search for a way to save Atem from his unfortunate fate, but to hear how his parents made a breakthrough only to have to step away from their work...Yugi felt his stomach twist painfully. Had the IVHA, had Pegasus, intentionally dent his parent's to their deaths? Was that why she asked Atem to look after him? She must have predicted her and Yugi's father's deaths before it occurred. The human bit his lower lip and fought against the stinging sensation in his eyes. The human wasn't sure if he should be mad, sad, or happy. Unsuspectingly, he had finished his late parents' work for them.

Yugi stopped concentrating on his parents and refocused on both Atem and Yami. Atem stood patiently against the wall, still waiting for Yami to do something other than stare at him in thought. Even though Yugi barely knew the man outside of school, he could tell that his tough exterior was starting to crumble as Yami stood up from the couch. His entire attitude seemed to have changed and his stoic face faded into an expression of sweet agony. "I have no doubts your words are true, however, how can I believe that the person standing here before me is actually my Atem?" The Prince croaked out. "How can I tell this isn't another one of my illusions, or that you are a pure blood with shifting abilities. "

Yami approached Atem, his eyes pleading with the other silently. "Id you are not my Atem, then I beg of you to stop this foolishness," He stopped just an arm's length in front of the Original and reached out to touch the other vampire's hand, his dull red eyes gazing at his hand touching the other's. "You are warm, not the cold that I last felt from him. You've grown more mature, you don't have his welcoming aura any more. But…" The vampire grabbed Atem's hand and gently squeezed it in his own, and Atem returned the gesture as he watched Yami with a similar expression to the younger male's.

"But," Atem repeated, urging for his mate to continue.

"But, you're still so similar to my Atem. You are still look the same, you sound the same, and you even can speak our old language, even though I have forgotten it myself. You're just as unpredictable, demanding, fearless, and have the same nasty left hook," Yami laughed sadly as he trailed off and released Atem's hand, pulling it free and stepping from the man.

"Despite being so much like him, I know you're not Atem Muran. He wouldn't have tried to injure me severely, and would have-MMMH!"

Atem used his unnatural speed to capture Yami in an embrace and place a gentle kiss on the paler vampire's lips. Yami pressed both hands to Atem's chest and attempted to push away from the other and end their kiss, but Atem countered by holding Yami closer and pressing more firmly into their kiss and staring directly into Yami's wide eyes.

Atem let their kiss linger a bit longer before pulling away with confident smirk. He was about to speak, when the shocked Yami quickly recovered from his stupor and pressed their lips together again in an eager kiss.

Instead of pushing Atem away, Yami returned the embrace and held the other as tightly as he could. It didn't bother the Original vampire in the slightest as he savored the moment of finally being able to have his mate, his lover in his arms again. The two were oblivious as the continued to return kiss after kiss, forgetting about the human observe their reunion with conflicting feelings.

Yugi politely turned his head away from the embracing couple after their third kiss. He was more than overjoyed that the two were starting to settle things and Yami was accepting Atem as the true Original vampire, and not some counterfeit version of himself. But the human felt like a spy as the two shared an emotional moment in their lives. It was like they had forgotten that he was in the room as the re kindled their torn relationship.

"I have missed you," Atem muttered in between their shared kisses.

"How I have long to do this again, to speak to you, " The Original vampire pulled away from Yami with a warm smile and eyes threatening to tear up. "To see you, hear your voice. To touch you," Atem used his right hand to cup Yami's face and rubbed his thumb across Yami's face. " How can I make up the time that we have lost? How can I repair what I have broke?"

Yami didn't responded immediately. Instead, he leaned into Atem's touch and placed a hand over the tan one cradling his face and enjoyed the moment before it vanished. "Just don't go away. Don't leave me again.," He pleaded with the King. "I can't take losing you again."

Yugi peaked to see the two embracing with their foreheads touching. Although he dreaded interrupting the two during the precious moment, Yugi needed to take Yami's health into priority as his first day as the man's official feeder. Bonded or not, if he did a poor job now and others caught wind of it, he could kiss his good reputation goodbye.

Standing from his spot on the ground, Yugi confidently walked towards his vampire and and poked Yami's shoulder to gain his attention. Yugi instantly regretted it when Yami turned to give him a cold glare that pierced fear into his soul.

The human gulped, but kept firm as he faced Yami head on. "You need to feed. If I don't at least do that for you, then I won't meet the standards of being the Royal Feeder. "

Yami sighed and turned his face into Atem's chest. "Later, I'm busy. "

Yugi looked up at Atem to find him smiling proudly at his mate and stroking the back of his head lovingly.

_'He needs to feed, the both of you do. We either do it now, you will have to wait till tomorrow when I wake up and given how late it is already, I doubt it would be early.' _Yugi mentally thought towards the vampire, knowing the vampire would notice the thought being directed at him.

Atem looked at the human and gave hims a disappointed look before nodding._ 'I will not lie, I do need to feed. I exhausted most of my energy today. I shall convince Yami, go wait for us in a bedroom. You may want to lie down after this feeding session.'_

Yugi nodded to the vampire and left the couple to search for a bedroom. He hope the two wouldn't take too much time to follow after him. The sooner the fed from him, the sooner he could sleep, and the sooner he could move on from this day.

* * *

Yugi was having a hard time keeping his eyes opened as he stared up at the ceiling of the Master bedroom. He's been waiting for an hour, yes, an hour, for the two vampires to join him in the yellow beach themed bedroom. He understood that the two wanted time together after being apart for so long, but Yugi wasn't a human with a lot of patience, despite his good nature. Annoyed that the vampires had yet to show up, the human sat up from the large king sized bed decorated with a yellow and grey quilt with matching pillows.

"That's it I'm done waiting," The human declared out loud to the empty room.

Standing up Yugi unbuttoned his suit jacket and tossed it onto a dark cherry stained chest against one of the yellow walls of the room. The human proceeded to strip himself of his dress pants and vest next, he would just sleep in his boxers for the night like he's done so a million times before when he was too lazy to put pajamas on. The human was just starting to take off his white button up undershirt, when both Atem and Yami walked into the room without a knock, startling the teen.

"AH!" Yugi jumped and and stumbled over his own feet as he walked backwards when he heard the door open. Turning over his shoulder he glared at the two vampires, one annoyed and one highly amused. "A little warning next time? I'm undressing!"

Yami huffed and rolled his eyes. "So? It's not like you have anything I haven't seen before- ow!"  
The vampire hissed and rubbed the back of his head and sent a heated glare at his mate. "Why the hell did you hit me?"

"You were being rude," Atem said bluntly before kissing Yami's temple tenderly. "If you forget that Yugi can deny you of food till the morning and that would not be good for any of us, now would it?"

Yami mumbled under his breath and whatever the vampire said made Atem smirked confidently before he waltzed towards Yugi without a single care in the world. Yugi's violet eyes stayed glued to Atem's body, despite seeing a glimpse of Yami move to some part of the room. When Atem came to a stop in front of him, Yugi was forced to tilt his head up to gaze at the man, causing his scowl to look more like a childish pout.

"What?" The human spat out crossing his arms over his chest. "Are you still expecting me to allow you to drink my blood after you kept me waiting for an hour?"

"Yugi, Yugi, Yugi, " Atem said calmly with a smirk still gracing his face. "You are a cute one when feisty, are you not?"

The human felt his face become warm and quickly looked away. Why did this man always flatter him so much? " I am not," Yugi denied flatly and turned his back to Atem. "Go flirt with your prince, not me-eeeeeek!"

Atem picked Yugi up the moment the human had dropped his guard and turned his back on him. Yugi kicked his feet as Atem cared him effortlessly with Yugi's back pressed against his torso, laughing as the human kicked his legs and pushed against the vampire's arms.

"Can you let me go? I can walk!" The human shouted at the vampire not one bit pleased that he was being held against his will.  
"Hmmm, okay," Atem hitched the human up higher before tossing the human on Yami's lap, who was perched on the edge of the bed and watching the two with a bored look.

"Was this really necessary?" Yami asked as he caught Yugi and pulled the human into a sitting position on his lap. "He would have joined if you just asked."

Yugi nodded his head in agreement, as he sat up straight on Yami's lap. "I would have!"

"It was more fun this way!" Atem spoke with obvious mirth in his voice. "It will make this just a little bit less boring. Our feeding sessions does not have to be so proper and formal."

"Our?" Yami hissed out, his hold on Yugi's body tightening in reaction to Atem's words.

"Our," Atem repeated his smirk dissipating. "I have feed from Yugi twice, just like you. Though it was in one day, but two bite marks are two bite marks regardless of when and where. Of course, Yugi was voluntarily willing for the first bite, but the second one did catch the little one off guard. I have to admit, it was a little bit fun scaring him."

"You're such an ass," Yugi spat at the older vampire, before he turned his head. The human meet the eyes of an angered Yami, and the human knew he messed up for a second time that night.

"Voluntarily?"Yami said slow and clear, making sure the human heard him perfectly.

Yugi felt his clammy as Yami's violent red eyes gazed at him with an all judging glare. The human gulped, but maned up to Atem's words and did the correct and honesty thing. "He threatened to eat both me and my grandpa in a wild feeding frenzy, even though I offered to take him to the local volunteer feeding center and blood bank," Yugi told Yami and pointed at Atem.

He pinned the blame on the person who got him into this situation.

Yami growled and cut his eyes at Atem, who froze in place with a guilty smile on his face.

Yami stared at Atem for few slow seconds before sighing and shaking head with his eyes closed. "You're still the same idiot pressuring people, I see."

Both Atem and Yugi were shocked but neither males commented or argued with Yami. Both knew that it would be pushing Yami's breaking point if they said anything else about the matter. So the subject was quickly changed.

"Hmm, this is going to be a feat," Atem tsked lightly and bit his thumb as his fiery eyes watch Yami and Yugi, before reaching to grab Yugi.

Yami moved Yugi away from Atem's out reached hand and glared at the other vampire. "No, he's my feeder."

"Stop being so territorial Yami. You are not a newborn," Atem jabbed the pure blood's side with his finger. "You know we have to feed from him at the same time to form the bond correctly, so just let me help Yugi get comfortable-"

"No."

"Yami," Atem's voice was a stern warning.

"No," Yami repeated again, placing his face against Yugi's neck and nuzzling the human's flesh.

Yugi shivered and made a face of disgust as the vampire licked his neck. Violet eyes looked to Atem when he heard the older male growl. With swift movements, Atem forcibly took Yugi away from Yami and sat the human in between them, the human siting on both of the vampire's laps.

"You are so difficult when your hunger," The Original vampire informed his lover and turned to Yugi, pressing his face against the human's neck and nuzzling it with his nose, similar to Yami.

Yami growled but didn't say anything as he nuzzled the right side of Yugi's neck. Although the action had been comforting and relaxing when the nuzzled his neck separately, Yugi couldn't help but feel awkward as the two tried to make him relax. However when Yami began to make his purring like noise, Yugi started snickering and letting his body shake with the soft laughter.

Atem placed a hand over Yugi's mouth and growled softly in warning. _'Quit it and **relax,**' _The vampire mentally commanded the human.

Yugi's laughter died off and he felt his body slowly lose all it's tension. The human would have shot the Vampire a glare for using compulsion on his body, however, Yami's hand took a hold of his chin and kept his head locked in place. With his glare not available, Yugi decided to send a mental message to the Vampire King, _'Friends don't compel friends.'_

The human received silence and no reaction from his smart-ass comment, but Atem did like his neck and it caused Yugi squirm and Yami to growl at Atem. "Stop making him move."

"Not my fault," Atem countered before sucking lightly at Yugi's neck.

"Guys just hurry up," Yugi whined and wiggled his toes from his eagerness to get this feeding session over with so he could go to sleep.

The human didn't have to ask the vampires vampires twice. After a minute more of preparation, both the vampires bit into his neck simultaneously.  
"Ouch!" The human hissed and closed his eyes from the unexpected pain, his body tensing despite Atem's compulsion. The left side of his neck burned from where Atem had used his fangs to bite into him while his right side was painless from when Yami had bit into his flesh. As the two drank his blood greedily, Yugi's left side of his neck began to feel like it was threatening to burn his entire body alive. The human clamped his mouth shut and whimpered.

Yugi hadn't felt Yami pull his fangs out of his neck or even his tongue glide across his skin to seal his puncture wounds. He only knew the man had stopped when he started scolding Atem.

"Stop you dumbass!" Yami snapped at his mate, flicking Atem's cheek to gain the other's attention. "You're not feeding properly!"

Yugi had never been more thankful for Yami being his vampire than now. When Atem pulled his fangs from his neck and licked his bit marks, the Original pulled the hurting and woozy Yugi close to his side and nuzzled the human gently. "Sorry, I became carried away. I was too hasty and did not puncture your neck without considering your safety."

Yugi hummed in acceptance, the pain was now just a faint sting on the side of his neck, like a minor bee sting. "It's fine."

Yugi struggled to keep his eyes opened as he looked at Yami who looked relieved that Yugi wasn't in any real danger now. Red-violet eyes cautiously examined the human's tired form, and Yugi could help but giggle in his slight delirious state. "Your pretty eyes are back."

Yami blushed and tried to act like he didn't hear the comment, but Atem was having none of that.

"Now you look like my Yami," the Original cooed out happily. "I have messed those eyes, why have you been hiding them all this time?"

"Shut up," Yami barked Atem. "I don't need to explain myself to someone who does the same thing."

Yugi looked up to take a peek at Atem's face, but the vampire pressed his face into his shoulder. "You know my reason is different from yours, so let us not get into this conversation with the human in hearing range."

"Why can't I be apart of this conversation?" Yugi's muffled voice asked. The human didn't have the strength to try and push himself free from being smothered by Atem, plus he enjoyed taking in the smell of the vampire it was a warm spicy scent that made Yugi feel at home.

"Yeah Atem, why can't the the human be a part of our conversation?" Yami tossed at the former Pharaoh in a taunting tone.

The vampire sighed heavily and glared at his mate. "He is too young and he is not adapted to this lifestyle yet. I refuse to force him to carry a two-ton brick on his shoulders when the human is clearly struggling to even handle a pebble being placed in his care."

"I'm doing just fine thank you!" Yugi snapped at the vampire, his annoyance growing. "I can handle anything you share with me. I'm not some fragile doll!"

Atem chuckled and shook his head. "Why do all humans have this idea that they have bodies of steel and minds of diamonds?" He sighed and ran a hand through his human's feeder's hair. "I think it is time for someone to sleep so the vampires can speak without having to be censored."

Yugi groaned as he felt the need to close his eyes become more persistent than before. "Stop doing that, I don't want to sleep."

"Atem quit it, you're going to give the human trust issues," Yami scolded the Original vampire. "I've been making good progress with him too."

The Original vampire laughed once. "It is his body I am influencing not his mind, but it is not really even that, I am just helping him achieve what he needs."

Yugi's eyes finally closed blocking out the vampires from his sight, he tried to grumble out a reply to the vampire, but his mouth refused to work with his mind. Soon Yugi was drifting off into slumber, but not before he heard one last comment from Yami.

"Stop treating him like _Heba__._"

* * *

Yugi's mind was scrambling when the darkness of slumber had consumed his mind. Yami had thought Atem was treating him like he had Heba, and it scared Yugi. He didn't want the older vampire to be comparing him to his former feeder. The very idea of it was unsettling. He was his own person, just like Heba...who happened to have more of a mean streak in him.

_"Why the hell are you here again? Did you not learn that you were unwelcomed here last time, Yugi Mutou?" _

Yugi opened his eyes and found himself back in the mystical oasis from his dream the previous night. The human pushed himself into an upright sitting position as his violet eyes stayed locked onto his tan doppelganger.

"Heba," Yugi spoke softly and cautiously, greeting the other male.

The tan male snorted and stood from his seated position on the oasis' water's surface. _"Why are you here? I do not accept troublemakers like you in my world."_

_'His world?' _Yugi narrowed his eyes as he watched the other like a predator. "I don't know how I end up here, it just happens."

_"Fantastic," _Heba grumbled out, and turned his back to his distant relative before sitting down again.

Yugi sighed softly and stood to his feet slowly. He didn't bother saying a word to the other male for the time being and began to explore his surroundings. Last time he didn't get the chance to admire the beautiful location. The pale teen could feel his look-a-like glaring at him as he moved around the oasis, it continued for sometime before Yugi finally had enough of the silent stare watching his every move.

"Are you just going to watch me? Or do you have something to say? "Yugi asked as quickly spun around to face Heba. " I can handle whatever you say."

_"He told you. The Pha'rah spoke about me to you and Yami."_

Yugi's annoyance faded and his eyes went wide. "How did you know about that?"

_"The stone. I see everything through it and through the eyes of the wearer." _Heba answered bluntly and stood. The young male too slow steps as he started to approach Yugi. _"Before my body died, my lover sealed my soul away so I could be reborn into the world as a perfect being with him."_

Yugi felt his heart skip a beat. He had no words as he gazed at Heba in disbelief. Atem or Yami place Heba in stone to save him. 'Then they don't-'

_"I know what your thinking, and no, Atem and Yami aren't responsible for my current form. Those two… I was their feeder, but I did not love them. Atem fell for me and Yami soon after, but I denied their love and hated it. I feel nothing but hatred for those two demons. If not for them, then I could be with my lover, if not for Atem I could immortal." _Heba ranted to Yugi before coming to a stop at the edge of the water. He reached a hand out and brushed his fingertips along Yugi's cheek with a sweet smile that matched the one Yugi had been born with.

_"He was right, you could be the one. The one to end my misery, to end my torture, to set me free. And if I'm lucky, you'll be the one to finish the job I started long ago."_

Yugi swallowed the lump in his throat and stepped back away from Heba. "I… What makes you think I would do that? I released Atem, I saved him from your curse!"

_"He was only sealed so Yami wouldn't become the next Original before my lover and I had a plan of action to deal with him if that were to happen. You don't understand why I did what I did because you lack knowledge,"_Heba chuckled and reached out again towards Yugi. _"If you take my hand I can show you, just like I have done so in the past with your ancestors, the offspring of my offspring." _The spirit took another step and the water washed the golden sand away to allow him to get closer to Yugi. _"__Allow me to show you the horrors you are blind to, the horrors Atem will unleash on the world. His shadows have already began to make their move now that he is fully developed and they have no containment. The will spread disaster. He is evil in its purest form. Just look at those things you call Rogue vampires, do you honestly think that they are fallen vampires? No, they are monsters created from Atem's blood robbing the lives of the innocent. Blood he doesn't know how to control or contain. It's just a matter of time, Yugi. The life you know and have been fight to protect, is going to vanish before you." _

Yugi took a step back and shook his head at Heba. "No, I won't do it!" He declared confidently, his eyes fearless as he gazed at Heba with fearless bright violet eyes. "I don't believe what you said. I have trust in my parents' and my grandfather's judgement. Atem is not evil and neither is Yami! Dark and mysterious maybe, but not evil."

"Haha, you're still young and naive, but you will learn," Heba retracted his hand. "If you don't want to listen to me, I will make your life a living nightmare until you agree to see. Until then, I will force you to experience the horrors that I have witnessed through the eyes of your ancestors, including your own parents. By the time I'm finished with you," Heba chuckled, his sweet smile now sinister and murderous, "You will be begging for me to forgive you, that, or you'll become beyond saving, just like the other mutos in the world."

Yugi curled his hands into fist and back away from Heba, fearful of the other but he did not show it. "I won't let that happen. When I wake, I will have Atem destroy the stone so you can't harm me or Yami and him!" Yugi held his head high, "You won't torture them any longer!"

Heba chuckled joyfully and waved a dismissing hand in the air. _"I'd like to see you try. Even if he destroyed this stone and created another, I will still remain to haunt you. Afterall, you are my family, Yugi. I am a part of you." _

Yugi opened his mouth to deny Heba's claim, but his voice was mute. He felt his hands and feet go numb with a prickling feeling that traveled up his arms and legs till his entire body was numb. Raising his hands to his face, Yugi watched in horror as his hands disintegrated into sand and was blown away by the wind. The teen panicked and tried to hide his corroding limbs before they were completely blown away by the wind . The entire time Yugi was struggling with keeping his body intact and from being dust in the wind, Heba laughed at his misfortune and watched with pure amusement. Yugi felt his torso start to give and drift off in the wind and Yugi allowed his fearful eyes meet Heba's sinister ones, one last time before he completely vanished with the wind.

_"It's just a matter of time before you cave."_

* * *

**Author's note :**

As I told you above, I was in the hospital and it caused me to be delayed when posting this chapter. But everything is good, I'm recovering and I'll be better than ever soon enough. Anyways, on with this chapter.

This chapter was my baby. When I first created Traitor this was my test run and what the events in the entire story based off. Though, then again it was way different from what it's current version. Haha! But this chapter was difficult, I've been working on it for two years, and I still feel like I should have took it a different route, but I'm happy with it.  
This was an emotional chapter, I did tear up and cried a little bit, but I don't think it's too emotional. I will say while Atem and Yami seem okay, they've got a long ways to go and a few twists and turns before they're back to their original relationship strength, and of course, they have Yugi to worry about now.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter and your predictions!  
Also, check out my profile for the next update and for future stories or other stories in progress!  
I do have one that will be post in the next week or so!

Thank you for all of your support, I love all of my readers!  
Also, Happy 2017 and Year of the Rooster!


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